Italy to Present Energy Crisis Paper to G7, Ecofin
Date: 25-Jan-06
Country: BELGIUM
Author: Francesca Landini
European countries who are customers of Russian gas giant Gazprom, including Italy, are seeing shortfalls in supplies exacerbated by a wave of extremely cold weather across the continent.
"The idea of our document is that we have problems on a European scale which can only have European solutions," Tremonti told a press conference in Brussels.
"Our objective is to present the document we are preparing to the G7," he said. "It will be a document of research and analysis...It is fundamental that the next G7 deal with energy."
The world's leading industrial nations will meet in Moscow next month as the G8. It was not clear if Tremonti referred to this meeting.
Tremonti added Russia and Italy could also hold talks in the next few days on the current gas supply problems.
"It's possible that we could have a bilateral meeting in the next few days with Russia's economy ministry," he said.
Current shortfalls have prompted a national debate in Italy on the country's dependence on imported gas, mainly from Russia.
Tremonti said Europe had "no alternative" to nuclear power, banned in Italy since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union.
The unexpected boost from Russia for nuclear energy comes as its credentials as a power producer that doesn't pump out greenhouse gases has already forced it back onto the agenda in Europe, despite opposition from environmental groups.
"As economy minister, and not as the government, I am convinced that nuclear energy is one of the key solutions," he told reporters. "I am convinced we do not have alternatives to nuclear energy".
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, some politicians and scientists have in the past called for nuclear power to be revived, but analysts and industry experts say Italians would be unlikely to agree to reverse the 1987 referendum.
