EU Commission Head Baroso +Energy Commissioner Oetinger to EuroFora on Desertec+TransGreen Solar RES

    The biggest two recent High Technology Mega-Projects for Solar Power linking Africa to Europe accross the Mediterranean, Desertec and TransGreen, led mainly by Germany and France respectively, could be funded also by EU's anti-Crisis' Budget, and are complementary and useful for EU's policies, replied EU Commission's President  Barroso, and the competent Energy Commissioner Oettinger, to "EuroFora"'s questions, respectively.

    - "EuroFora" asked Jose Barroso, at a Press-point in Strasbourg, "what (he) thought about the New Technologies' projects Desertec and Transgreen" to produce and transport Electricity from Solar Energy at Africa's mega-Desert Sahara, accross the Mediterranean.

     - "I think that any project which aims to guarantee more Energy Security to Europe deserves our interest", Barroso replied to "EuroFora"'s question on Desertec and TransGreen.

    - "Now, I'm not going to pronounce myself, in concrete terms, on one project,  or pre-project", before EU decides to support it, EU Commission's President carefully said.

    - "But, as you know, in the framework of (EU's) reply to the (Global Financial) Crisis, (EU) Commission proposed to use 5 Billion €, which had not been used by the (European) Community's Budget for certain actions", he observed in particular.

     - "We have have placed there, precisely, certain actions in the domain of Energy Security and TransEuropean Networks, and sometimes also by linking European Countries to other (3rd) Countries", he added.

    - "We have placed that among the Priorities for funding such projects", EU Commission's President stressed.

    Hopefully, Barroso's new statements to "EuroFora" might open possibilities for more EU investment to both the TransGreen and Desertec, Environment-Friendly, High Tech. projects on the best Renewable Technology : that of the Sun, instead of risking to waste  Hundreds of Millions € of EU's funds to controversial Turkish Pipeline "Nabucco", still searching to find Gas from Central Asia, (even Iran), etc., despite the fact that it's too Long, too Expensive, Low-tech., exposed to Dangers of Conflicts, Political Blackmails, and/or Earthquakes, far away from E -controlled areas, despite various other (already existing and/or possible) Alternative Transport solutions, faster, safer and cheaper (Comp. "EuroFora"'s earlier publications).

Contrary to what a last year's, 2009 Draft of EU Commission's proposals (before "Transgreen"' was added to "Desertec")  had unfortunately indicated some Months earlier, before tEU Council and EU Parliament elect the New EU Commissioners...  

                                                                                                                                             - "EuroFora" also asked new EU Commissioner on Energy, Gunter Oettering from Germany, if he found that "Franco-German projects Desertec and TransGreen can be complementary".

    - "Yes, I think Yes !", positively replied the competent EU Commissioner to "EuroFora"'s question.

    - "I think that both projects would stick together", fitting well in an overall trend. "Nobody says that it can't come" true in Future, Oettinger added.

     - However, "may be, we need (to advance in) Steps, therefore, may be not all in one moment.. But, in a longer  term, ", he methodically advised.

    - At any case, these two Strategic Mega-Projects concern a real "Partnership between the EU and Africa", the EU Commissioner on Energy stressed.

    - All this "is really good for Economic and Cultural (Scientific/Technologic) Policies", added Oettinger, who is well known, as former Prime Minister of the nearby German Federated State of Baden-Wurtemberg, for ambitions to develop "European Institutes of Technology, performant as new MIT(s)", as is called the famous American body.

    Speaking at a Conference in Strasbourg on EU's Energy policy, the competent EU Commissioner highlighted Europe's needs for the foreseeable Future and various  possible solutions.

    Oettinger, who stressed mainly the need for the EU to boost its internal Energy "Networks", also criticized the paradox that "we are paying for Windfarms to produce Electricity at the outer coasts of Scotland", towards the U.S., "but it isn't yet easy to transport Electricity not even from Strasbourg to Stuttgart", i.e. at Europe's heart !..

   ( See also other Statements by EU Commission's President Barroso, and EU Energy Commissioner Oettinger, to "EuroFora", on other topical issues, in separate NewsReports, as well as longer draft texts already sent to "EuroFora"'s Subsrcibers/Donors).

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