IRELAND: The Minister for Communications, Mr Dermot Ahern, is finalising proposals to build a multimillion-euro electricity interconnector linking Ireland with Britain.
The project is being planned as part of a wider European initiative to ensure the security of electricity supplies throughout the EU after a major blackout last year in Italy, Mr Ahern said yesterday.
At a briefing in Dublin, the Minister set this initiative as one of his priorities during Ireland's presidency of the EU.
Mr Ahern also hopes to use the presidency to advance new regulations governing satellite broadcasters and to encourage the development of high-speed Internet systems throughout the EU. In addition, he wants to work towards agreement on European Commission proposals to introduce criminal sanctions for the pollution of EU waters.
Mr Ahern said it was crucial to increase the interconnection of electricity and gas networks between EU members, including the accession states. "The recent blackouts in Europe highlight the need for action in respect of security of supply," he said.
"With the addition of 10 new member-states next May, the EU will have a population of some 450 million energy customers and will represent the world's largest single energy market.
"It is the region of the world most dependent on imports for its energy needs, with about 50 per cent of our current energy needs coming from abroad."
He said the development of a 500- or 1,000-megawatt sub-sea interconnector linking Ireland and Britain was being considered.
While demand for power was growing very quickly, he said, such a project was not a direct response to the slow pace of investment in private-sector generation since the Irish electricity market was liberalised. He favoured a link with greater capacity but said a 500-megawatt connector would cost up to €250 million.
Mr Ahern said the the Government was agreed in principle that the link should be built. However, the funding model for the system has not yet been decided.
Sources later said Mr Ahern was examining a proposal to open the project to private-sector investment. On the regulation of satellite broadcasters, Mr Ahern said it was "simply not on" that companies were not regulated in the markets in which they broadcast. While he had no evidence that foreign satellite broadcasters were flouting Irish regulations, he said a Swedish language broadcaster was transmitting programmes from Britain into Sweden to avoid domestic legislation there.
"There is little point, for instance, in providing member-states with the powers to protect, for example, their minors if such national measures do not apply to satellite broadcasters."
The proposal would bring satellite broadcasters under the jurisdiction of EU member-states in which they transmit services.
However, Mr Ahern said he did not anticipate final agreement on such regulation during the Irish presidency.