Power cutting EU regulation

The major power cut that affected millions of people in Europe - in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Belgium and Spain - has caused many high profile politicians to call for a new European power authority. For example, Romano Prodi said that there is a contradiction between having European power links and no single European Authority.

Energy has become one of the priority areas for the EU and its agenda on all levels is dominated by issues of how best to secure energy supply. It is perfectly reasonable to establish a single authority to coordinate European energy policy to prevent major power cuts like the one over the weekend. However, setting up such a body will undoubtedly prove tricky. All members would have to agree to its functions and remit and reaching an agreement on such a strategically important issue would be time consuming and riddled with implications.

It is right to assume that the new EU energy authority would be heavily regulated and European energy companies' legislative burden would increase significantly. The amount of regulation already pouring out of Brussles is quite incomprehensible and the prospect of further rules must be a threatening prospect for many businesses. The EU produces hundreds of consultations and documents (some of them perfectly reasonable) containing far too much centralised micro-management to grind anyone down into antipathy. The EU should consider the impracticality of high volume of regulation and legislation in favour of the positive forces of free market.