GUE/NGL MEPs criticised the EU's energy strategy priorities ahead of the European Council meeting this Friday, which will focus on energy and innovation.

"Energy is clearly vital for creating new jobs but governments continue to insist on outdated energy policies" Portuguese MEP Marisa Matias objected. "We need an energy revolution, not more public-private partnerships. Attachment to "old energy" and a lack of ambition in terms of "new energy" means this is unfortunately a Council of continuity, when it could be a first step toward real change."

"Recent surveys show that people's greatest concern remains the price of fuel as they are confronted with rising costs" said Czech MEP Vladimír Remek. "Council should come up with comprehensive policies that reflect the interests of citizens so that the EU strives to tackle this problem by working for fair energy prices."

"The deepening of the internal market means more liberalisation and therefore more monopolistic concentration" said Portuguese MEP Ilda Figueiredo. "My group is against this, especially in strategic areas such as energy. Council and Commission are shutting their eyes to social problems, inequality and energy poverty which is on the rise. Energy policy should have social progress at its core and should seek to improve living standards; what's happening is the opposite, and that's why we see growing anger in the streets".

Greek MEP Giogios Toussas said the summit was taking place during a "crisis of capitalism" and said that reactionary policies were giving rise to popular resistance, such as the ongoing protests in Egypt, with which the GUE/NGL group expresses its full solidarity.

GUE/NGL PRESS CONTACTS:
David Lundy + 32 485 50 58 12
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
Gianfranco Battistini + 32 475 64 66 28
Inga Keilmann (DE) +32 493 60 10 23
www.guengl.eu
European United Left/Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group