In an effort to boost EU energy diversification, France, Spain and Portugal are expected to seal a deal early next week to increase exports of Algerian gas to Europe.
The deal links Spain and Portugal, which currently form an independent energy island.
Following tense EU-Russia ties, policy makers are pushing hard to diversify supplies, and opening up the Pyrenees would help unlock Algeria’s potential.
At a meeting in Paris on June 30, the French, Spanish and Portuguese energy ministers will agree to a political plan prioritising the strategic importance of the MidCat gas pipeline scheduled to cross the Pyrenees. EU officials said that France would be represented by Ségolène Royal and Spain by José Manuel Soria, the FT reported.
EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete has said that a well-connected energy market is vital for creating an Energy Union that will ensure secure, affordable and sustainable energy for all EU citizens and businesses, according to European Commission.
http://www.neurope.eu/article/france-spain-portugal-to-push-midcat-pipeline/