[2008.06.14] Europe’s energy market 聊胜于无？

 Europe’s energy market
欧洲能源市场

Better than nothing?
聊胜于无？

Jun 12th 2008
From The Economist print edition

A muddled compromise in Europe’s attempt to reform its energy markets
欧洲勉强出台一个妥协方案，谋求改革其能源市场

WHEN decision-makers call a new policy a “third way” it usually signals an unsatisfactory compromise. That is certainly true of the proposed energy-policy rules agreed on by European Union (EU) energy ministers in Luxembourg on June 6th. Andris Piebalgs, the EU energy commissioner, had set out to force governments to separate or “unbundle” energy companies’ production and transmission assets. What he has achieved with the legislative proposal is a hybrid system that lets governments choose between mandating a proper break-up of their country’s vertically integrated energy giants, and two watered-down forms of separation.
当决策者将一个新政策称为”第三种方法”时，通常意味着这是一个不能令人满意的妥协方案。欧盟能源部长6月6日在卢森堡达成的能源政策规则即是这样一个方案。欧盟委员会能源事务专员安德里斯•皮尔巴格斯着手督促各国政府分拆或”松绑”其能源公司的生产和输送资产。安德里斯•皮尔巴格斯的这个法律草案要求建立一个综合系统， 让各国政府有一个选择空间，决定是打破其国内垂直合并的能源巨头体系，还是选择折衷的分拆形式。

By his own admission Mr Piebalgs has “mixed feelings” about the compromise in the draft legislation that will now be submitted to parliamentarians. But he is under pressure from two rival factions. Britain, Spain, the Netherlands and the Scandinavians champion “Independent Transmission System Operation” (ITSO), which is jargon for full unbundling. In their view vertically integrated companies such as France’s EDF and Germany’s RWE and e.ON shut rivals out of their transmission systems and shy away from reinvesting their profits in network improvements.
不过，皮尔巴格斯本人也承认，他对法律草案提出的妥协方案抱有”复杂的感情”。本法律草案现已提交给议会。皮尔巴格斯承受着来自两大派别的压力。英国、西班牙、荷兰和斯堪的纳维亚支持”独立输电系统运行商”（ITSO），实现完全拆分。在他们看来，垂直合并公司，像法国的EDF和德国的RWE和 e.ON将竞争者挡在了其输送体系之后，并不愿将其收益再投资于网络改建工作。

As an alternative to ITSO the Commission also proposed a watered-down version, allowing companies to retain ownership of their spun-off networks. But even that was too much for a group of eight countries, led by France and Germany, which say that “effective and efficient” unbundling of transmission systems does not require such separation. This group proposed a “third way” that merely requires companies to have independent management teams for generation and transmission, and to boost investment. National governments will be able to decide which of these three options to adopt.
除了”独立输电系统运行商”模式外，委员会还提议了另一个折衷模式，允许公司保留销售网的所有权。但有八个国家认为这个模式也太激进了。以法国和德国为首的八国集团认为”高效的”输送系统的松绑不需要这种分拆。这些国家建议一个”第三种方法”，只要求公司设立独立的生产和输送管理团队，并且加大投资力度。各国政府将决定采取选择三种提议的哪一个。

The Commission insists that it has made progress on other fronts. A new “Agency for the Co-operation of Energy Regulators” is to oversee the functioning of energy markets, notably in cross-border co-operation between network operators. But Dieter Helm, an expert on energy regulation at Oxford University, says there is not much to celebrate. He argues that the proposal is a muddled compromise that will create cumbersome regulation and more bureaucracy. In his view unbundling should have been pushed through in the 1990s, when energy prices were low, investment requirements were negligible and supply was abundant. Unbundling seems much less important today, he says.
委员会坚持其已在其他领域取得进展。一个新的”能源监管合并机构”设立，以监管能源市场的功能，特别是监管网络运营者的跨国合作。但是，牛津大学能源监管专家Dieter Helm说，这并不值得庆祝。他认为这个提议是一个勉强的妥协方案，将令监管效率低下，并滋生更多的官僚主义。他认为解绑举措应该在20世纪90年代展开，那时能源价格低廉，投资要求微不足道，供应充足。他说，现在解绑似乎没那么重要了。

Instead, as Russia becomes an increasingly powerful energy producer, the EU should focus on
safeguarding its security of supply, in particular by forming a common front in dealings with Gazprom and other Russian energy giants. By 2030 Russia will provide about 50% of the EU’s gas imports. Yet rather than working together, countries are striking bilateral deals with Russia. Combating climate change should be the EU’s second priority. Talks are being held at regular intervals, but so far unrealistic targets for the use of renewable energy have been the main result. “European energy policy has been a substantive failure,” says Mr Helm.
相反，随着俄罗斯成为日益强大的能源生产国，欧盟应该侧重保卫其能源安全，特别是形成一个统一战线，与Gazprom和其他俄罗斯能源巨头进行交易。截至 2030年，俄罗斯将供应约50%的欧盟天然气进口。现在，许多欧盟国家并没有联合起来，而是分别与俄罗斯签署双边协定。应对环境变化应是欧盟的第二优先事项。已定期举行会谈，但是到目前为止，主要的成果只是决定使用可再生能源这个不切实际的目标。Helm先生说”欧洲能源政策是一个巨大的失败”。

The Commission says it had to agree on a compromise. France, an opponent of full unbundling, will take over the EU’s rotating presidency on July 1st, so the reformers had to get things sorted out this month. And the new policy may yet help to foster a more unified external energy policy through the new pan- European agency and increased co-operation among network operators. But implementation will take at least two years. Meanwhile, Europe’s vertically integrated giants-especially Germany’s RWE and e.ON- will pursue their own foreign energy policy. And governments will do their very best to help their national champions.
委员会说必须达成一个妥协方案。反对完全松绑的法国将在7月1日出任欧盟的轮值主席国，因此，改革者必须在这个月即做出决定。通过泛欧机构和网络运营者更密切的合作，新政策可能有助于形成一个更统一的对外能源政策。同时，欧洲的垂直合并巨头，特别是德国的RWE和e.ON将奉行其自己的对外能源政策。各国政府也将尽全力帮助其国内的能源巨头。 .

译者： 王乙任  http://www.ecocn.org/forum/viewthread.php?tid=12130&pid=76346&page=1&extra=page%3D1#pid76346