Brussels, 13^th October 2016 -- Today the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) adopted the report of ECR lead MEP in the committee, prof. Zdzislaw Krasnodębski,  on the establishment of an information exchange mechanism with regard to intergovernmental agreements and non-binding instruments in the field of energy between Member States and third countries. "The main aim of the report was to strive to ensure greater solidarity between Member States on energy issues and prevention of controversial energy projects that would support stronger Western countries that have good relations with Russia at the expense of other EU countries" - said prof. Zdzisław Krasnodębski.

Prof. Krasnodębski's report managed to preserve, among others, a provision to ensure that EU Member States will have to inform the European Commission about agreements in the field of energy (the so-called. IGAs) and the non-binding instruments (ie. NBIs), which will be assessed for compliance with EU law and EU energy policy goals, especially from the perspective of energy security . "This is an important distinction, because NBIs verification will allow to control how the energy policy of individual EU Member States fits into the strategy of EU energy security" - explains the author of the report.

Prof. Krasnodębski also emphasizes that the report guarantees participation of the European Commission as an observer in negotiating energy contracts, in cases when the Commission considers that they are crucial to the energy security of the Community and the smooth functioning of the internal energy market. "It will be a helpful tool that will allow us to have an insight into the negotiations that undermine European solidarity between Member States" - says prof. Krasnodębski.

ENDS

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