Press Release: Commission welcomes substantial progress in the Council for the internal energy market package.

Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs welcomed the progress made by the Council on the Internal Market Package, as seen in the Portuguese Presidency's Progress Report, adopted in the Energy Council. The report indicates that 'a significant number' of Member States agree that ownership unbundling is necessary, whereas only 'some' remain to be convinced. The report also indicates that all Member States agree that unbundling rules should be similar to avoid distortions between Member States in the internal market and that they have to be based on independently run networks that guarantee independence of decisions on investment in infrastructure.