This series on the Energy Policies put forward by the main parties running for the European Parliament moves on, leaving the heavyweights and bringing focus to smaller political groups. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) is the main political group at the centre, pretty much in between EPP-ED and PES. It is the major Liberal reference in Europe, as in the member states where it is represented.

When public office holders approach the ends of their terms, they sometimes feel less constrained by political correctness. That's precisely what seems to be happening with European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs. In a note that could be your regular post on The Oil Drum, the Commissioner talks about peak oil in the past tense and warns that present oil prices at relatively low figures are simply transient.

Below the fold is the 8th May entry to the Energy Commisioner's weblog is reproduced in its entirety, for such words from a such stakeholder are a precious thing.

Continuing the analysis of the Second Strategic Energy Review (SER-2), the focus this time is on the document entitled “Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions". This is a formal document that details the Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan, presented in the Memo reviewed last time.

This post tries to highlight important aspects that aren't referenced in the Memo and presents the implementation steps proposed by the Commission to put the Plan into practice.

Update: Over at the European Tribune an effort is being taken for a common reply to the Public Consultation on the Green Paper Towards a Secure, Sustainable and Competitive European Energy Network. Come and join in.

In the second installment of this series analysing the Second Strategic Energy Review (SER-2) by the European Commission, the focus is on to the Memo entitled “EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan”.

This Action Plan is one of the new concepts brought about by SER-2 and marks a visible turn of the Commission's understanding of the European Energy system. Whereas during the first years of its term the Commission relegated Energy Security to second plan, expecting it to magically emerge as consequence of the internal market liberalization and deregulation, now it takes a front seat role in the Commission's Energy Policy.