as with the main countries. A sustainable

It is the law of silence has prevailed. "The reflection of a European leader illustrates the self-discipline that have had to impose the heads of State and Government of the Union, at their Spring Summit, to give Europe a new project. The real differences were left in the cloakroom and is expressed in national press conferences or in the corridors. "Through European history, one can say, one day, that the Europe of the energy was born a March 24, 2006," announced Friday, with a bit of emphasis, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. "It is an important step, but this is only a beginning", has tempered Angela Merkel, German Chancellor.

Twenty-five have indeed decided to lay the groundwork for a reconciliation of their energy policies on the internal market, as with the main countries. "A sustainable, competitive and secure energy", these are the three axes of this new strategy in the air of the time since the start of the price of a barrel outbreak and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis of January on the gas supply. Renouncing to take some decisive steps suggested by the Commission in its Green Paper, as the European regulator markets or the joint management of strategic reserves, the heads of State and Government nevertheless arrested a plan of action aimed at making the European market for the more coherent, more transparent and better integrated energy (see below).

"This Summit has been one of the quietest since a long time," admitted Silvio Berlusconi, the President of the Italian Council, which, in full electoral campaign, was charged with Jacques Chirac, furious of the gas of France and Suez counter-offensive against the attempt of the Italian giant Enel OPA. But it had to be waived under the combined pressure of the President of the Council, the Austrian Wolfgang Schüssel, and José Manuel Barroso.

Unexpected consensus

Other advocates of liberalism (Britain, Netherlands, Sweden), also shocked by the "economic patriotism" displayed by the France, also declined to open a debate at the time when they are trying to prove to public opinion that Europe has overcome its crisis of confidence.

Even the ultra-sensitive folder of the directive on services, ex-Bolkestein, has been the subject of a consensus among the leaders. The compromise voted in February by the European Parliament, which emptied the text of the most liberal aspects, had caused a lift of shields on the part of advocates of opening more deliberate in competition, the Poland and the new States members supported by the Netherlands and the UK. The risk was great reappearing the fracture at the resumption of the case by the competent European Ministers. The conclusions of the Summit clearly indicate that "the European Council welcomes with satisfaction the vote reached in Parliament... and it takes note of the intention of the Commission rely to a large extent, its amended proposal on the outcome of the first reading". This unexpected consensus in the twenty-five seems to prejudge a rapid adoption of the amended directive, before the end of the year.