Günther Oettinger, the EU Commissioner for Energy, is
intending to make recommendations on the creation of a truly
integrated EU energy market. He is expected to suggest opening
national energy grids to greater EU-wide competition. The EU's
target set in 2002 that 10% of national energy grids be opened to
energy supplies from other EU member states has not been met by all
EU member states. In particular, the quota has not been fulfilled
by Great Britain, Ireland, Italy and Spain, which have barely
granted access to their national grids to other non-national
competitors (Cyprus, Malta and Poland have also not fulfilled the
quota of 10%). Günther Oettinger, from Germany has been in
Brussels since the beginning of the year and has repeatedly
criticised the national barriers and strong market positions of
national energy undertakings in Europe
