1. Ireland’s initial response to the Green Paper: A European strategy for
sustainable, competitive and secure energy
Ireland has welcomed the Commission’s Green Paper, which provides an excellent
roadmap for Europe’s energy policy. As Irish Ministers have stated at Energy
Councils this year, we agree with the Commission’s identification of the key
challenges, which need to be addressed if we are to ensure the optimum balance
between sustainable development, competitiveness and security of supply.
Ireland fully agrees on the need to develop a new common European strategy for
energy underpinned by the principles of sustainability, competitiveness and security.
As a small peripheral geographically isolated energy market, Ireland faces a number
of specific challenges and we welcome the Green Paper’s explicit acknowledgement
of the challenges for peripheral Member States or ‘’energy islands’’ in terms of
security of supply and energy supply diversification.
Ireland fully endorses the Commission’s emphasis on significantly enhanced
interconnection as a key strategic priority for Europe and for Member States. Ireland
also endorses the continued progression towards internal market complemented by the
development over time of regional markets. The delivery of the Single Electricity
Market on the island of Ireland in 2007 is a significant project in this context.
We welcome the Green Paper’s acknowledgement of the prerogative of Member
States to determine their own fuel mix. We would emphasise the need to have regard
to the implications of this - each Member States fuel mix prerogative - for other
Member States, in relation most notably to nuclear power generation.
We support the development of an overall EU strategic objective based on EU wide
energy mix benchmarking assessment, but set firmly in the context of the subsidiarity
principle and, in the case of nuclear, trans-national impact.
Ireland endorses the emphasis on ensuring that EU energy and environmental policy
are compatible and mutually reinforced. We also endorse the emphasis on ensuring

2. that energy and economic competitiveness policies are fully in synergy (energy for
jobs and growth in Europe).
Ireland believes that there is an added imperative to ensure greater consistency
between EU energy and transport strategies and objectives.
Ireland agrees that barriers to cross border trade need to be addressed through a
common approach on regulatory issues. Greater co-operation and information
exchange between national regulators and TSOs is critical. We welcome the ongoing
work of the European Regulators (ERGEG) to enhance regional co-operation across
both the electricity and gas markets.
Ireland strongly supports the Commission’s priority for energy efficiency and will
support a robust wide-ranging energy efficiency action plan underpinned by specific
actions and creating a framework for Member States to address their specific
circumstances through country-specific actions. The EU can show world leadership
in energy efficiency.
A European roadmap for renewable resources is crucial. Europe has led the way in
global terms on renewable energy and needs to bolster and enhance that position.
Ireland also supports the Commission’s commitment to develop an appropriately-
resourced strategic energy technology plan. Long-term commitment to Research,
Development, Technology and Innovation is the key to ensuring the development and
deployment of new energy technologies. We need to significantly strengthen the
European research effort complementing national programmes and setting agreed EU-
level goals.
Ireland supports the development of a clearly defined external energy policy which
addresses the challenges vis-à-vis major suppliers, transit countries and energy
consumer nations. The external energy policy must be developed in a very transparent
and co-operative manner, which ensures open and comprehensive dialogue between
the Commission and Member States, and on a fully consultative basis.

3. Ireland is finalising its own Green Paper on energy policy taking account of EU
developments as well as specific national concerns.
Ireland will actively and constructively work with the Commission with other
Member States and with the Presidency, in the finalisation of the Strategic Energy
Review, which is a key imperative for us all.
Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
September 2006

4. 2005 Energy Data requested by Commission: Ireland
Mtoe TWh %
Primary Production Solid Fuels 0.462 27.5
Oil
Natural Gas 0.81 48.3
Nuclear
Renewable 0.406 24.2
Other
Total 1.678 100.0
Gross Inland Consumption Solid Fuels 2.608 16.7
Oil 8.962 57.3
Natural Gas 3.477 22.2
Nuclear
Renewable 0.405 2.6
Other 0.176 1.1
Total 15.628 100.0
Electricity Generation Solid Fuels 1.927 22.4 37.6
Oil 0.774 9.0 15.1
Natural Gas 2.044 23.8 39.9
Nuclear
Renewable 0.205 2.4 4.0
Other 0.176 2.0 3.4
Total 5.126 59.6 100.0
Notes: Source is the 2005 provisional energy balance, March 2006,
Energy Policy Statistical Unit, Sustainable Energy Ireland.
Reference http://www.sei.ie/getFile.asp?FC_ID=1738&docID=73