Agence France-Presse . Brussels

Ministers from eight European nations, led by France and Germany, have written to the European Commission criticising its plans to force energy giants to split in two and offering an alternative.

The letter, received by EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs on Thursday, speaks of ‘several crucial doubts ... concerning the legality, opportunity, proportionality and efficiency,’ of the European Commission’s plans.

Neither the EU’s impact assessment, nor the policy debate over the last few months have dissipated these ‘serious concerns,’ it added. The letter was sent by the economy ministers from Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg and Slovakia, as well as the French ecology minister, and Greek development minister.

EU officials want to increase competition in the energy sector by separating, or ‘unbundling’ energy production and distribution activities, amid sharply rising prices.

The Commission’s preferred plan of ‘ownership unbundling,’ forcing energy companies to get rid of one sector of their activities in the supply chain ‘is not compatible with constitutional law and with the free movement of capital,’ the eight national ministers said in their letter.

They also said that it was not ‘a sufficient and appropriate tool to deliver additional opening of the European gas and electricity markets’ to reach the agreed objective of guaranteeing adequate investment in the networks and fostering the integration of national markets.

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