A wide-ranging coalition of industry regulators and industry bodies have urged Michel Barnier and Dominic Raab to ensure the EU and energy policy as part of the future EU-UK trading relationship.
The government and the EU Commission have drawn up a draft withdrawal agreement for the UK, which is due to be debated by the Cabinet this afternoon (14 November).
It will also be asked to approve an outline Political Declaration setting out future EU-UK relationships.
EU and UK energy chiefs have signed a letter to Commission chief negotiator Barnier and Raab, who is secretary of state for Exiting the EU, calling for this declaration to address directly energy and climate change as key areas.
It urges the inclusion of a paragraph stating: “The UK and EU will negotiate a comprehensive relationship on energy trading and climate policy based on high alignment to ensure the continuation of co-operation in this key area of strategic interest for the mutual benefits of the UK and the EU, ensuring both can continue to provide affordable, secure and sustainable energy to their citizens and businesses in a coordinated manner.”
The letter says that the “long history of collaboration” between European countries on energy matters has enabled resources and capacity to be shared across borders.
This co-operation has had knock on benefits in terms of reduced costs, improved security of supply, better integration if renewable energy and hitting climate change targets.
This “very specific” collaboration must be a “significant feature” of the UK’s future relationship with the EU, according to the letter.
The inclusion of the suggested text would give the EU and UK industry confidence that the new relationship is “heading in the right direction”.
The letter was signed by the chief executives of the pan-European regulators ENTSO-E and ENTSOG together with those of a number of industry bodies, including Energy UK and Eurelectric.
The signatories have also offered to meet Barnier and Raab to ensure that energy and climate change matters are considered in the declaration.