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This year the European Union is in unprecedented ferment over energy issues. Little more than a decade ago, energy was an afterthought for EU policymakers. But the twin concerns of energy security and climate change have alteredthis thinking.

Increased tension with Russia, Europes largest energy supplier, has come as Europes domestic energy reserves are dwindling. The voices calling for a real, robust energy union have grown louder. But these voices are working with a significant subsidiarity handicap: the EU treaties make clear that energy choices are a national issue.

It was in this context that the European Commission adopted its keenly-awaited strategy on energy union yesterday (25 February). Maro efcovic, the European Commission vice-president for energy union, called it the most ambitious energy project since the European Coal and Steel Community.

Many were calling for bold action. Two ideas in particular were floated which, while controversial, could represent a significant challenge to Vladimir Putins attempts to weaponise energy policy: strict energy governance, and common gas purchasing.

There have been calls notably from the ALDE group of liberals for a system of energy governance modelled on the economic semester. This, it is claimed, would prevent member states taking national decisions to the detriment of the EU energy system as a whole such as Viktor Orbns special energy deals with Putin or Angela Merkels sudden decisions to scrap nuclear energy or abruptly change subsidies for renewables. The Commission has been trying to do this without changing the EUs treaties, and will undertake an annual state of the energy union review, starting this year.

Politicians, stakeholders and environmentalists responded to today's energy union strategy positively but with a degree of scepticism about its real impact.

Experts say specifics in today's package could undermine the EU's 2030 emissions reduction commitment by at least 5%.

Member states can make their own choices, but they also have to comply with the climate and energy policy objectives, said Miguel Arias Caete, the European commissioner for climate action and energy. We will make sure we have the provisions established by the Commission in order to make governance very efficient. Monitoring, reporting and verification of the annual planning of the member states will be very closely monitored by the Commission, and we will propose, as in the European semester, the recommendations needed to fulfill the objectives.

Another suggestion for strengthening Europes energy hand came from Poland common gas purchasing with third countries. efcovic is thought to support this idea, but in the face of flat rejection from Western Europe and threats from Norway, the Commission has relegated it to a mere suggestion for a study.

Conventional wisdom says this is merely cosmetic, and that Western Europes steadfast objection means such a proposal for common gas purchasing will never see the light of day. However, efcovic gave hope to Warsaw during his press conference yesterday when he said we believe it will be possible to propose such a mechanism on a voluntary basis. The East-West division came clearly into focus when Arias Caete jumped in to dampen down expectations, stating that such an arrangement would be impossible without many, many conditions.

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Modest measures for promoting EU energy union

PRESS RELEASE: WILEX AG: WILEX subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma receives research grant from the European Union

DGAP-News: WILEX AG / Key word(s): Financing WILEX AG: WILEX subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma receives research grant from the European Union

2015-02-25 / 07:03

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PRESS RELEASE

WILEX subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma receives research grant from the European Union

- Heidelberg Pharma is part of the European Training Network MAGICBULLET consortium for the development of new chemistry-driven concepts for anti-tumour therapies

Munich, Germany, 25 February 2015 - WILEX AG (ISIN DE000A11QVV0 / WL6 / FSE) today announced that its subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma has been awarded a research grant from the European Union as part of the European Training Network (ETN) MAGICBULLET. The European Union supports promising research projects within the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and has granted ETN MAGICBULLET a total of EUR 3.75 million for years 2015-2018 for the development of new chemistry-driven concepts for anti-tumour therapies.

Heidelberg Pharma is part of the ETN MAGICBULLET consortium which consists of seven academic research groups from Germany, Italy, Hungary and Finland, and two pharmaceutical companies (Heidelberg Pharma, Germany and Exiris, Italy). The aim of the consortium is to develop and validate an array of new peptide-drug conjugates combining tumour-specific peptides with potent cytotoxic drugs. Heidelberg Pharma's task is to identify, modify and validate tumour-specific peptide-drug conjugates based on its expertise in linker technology as well as to investigate the biological activity in vitro and in vivo.

Dr Jan Schmidt-Brand, CEO/CFO of WILEX AG and Managing Director of Heidelberg Pharma GmbH, commented: "We are pleased that MAGICBULLET was selected for the HORIZON 2020 programme and we look forward to an intensive and fruitful collaboration with our MAGICBULLET partners. Peptide-drug conjugates are promising new concepts for the therapy of different tumour types."

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PRESS RELEASE: WILEX AG: WILEX subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma receives research grant from the European Union

General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt

BRUSSELSThe European Union threw down a hurdle to General Electric Co.s planned $17 billion acquisition of France-based Alstom SAs energy unit Monday, saying it would open an in-depth investigation into whether the deal might stifle competition.

The European Commission, the EUs top antitrust authority, said it was concerned that the transaction, announced last June, might limit competition in the market for heavy-duty gas turbines, which are mainly used in gas-fired power plants. It will make a final decision on the merger by July 8.

Such in-depth probes arent unusual and often dont affect proposed tie-ups if the regulator decides to clear the deal unconditionally or require limited asset sales. But the move still adds months to the timeline and injects fresh uncertainty into GEs GE, -0.16% biggest ever deal.

Alstom ALSMY, -2.17% ALO, -0.09% Chief Executive Patrick Kron said last month he expected only limited overlaps where European regulators might require that the company divest operations for competitive reasons.

An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.

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The Wall Street Journal: EU opens probe into GE, Alstom deal

(02-24 11:27)

The European Union opened an in-depth probe of American conglomerate General Electric's US$14.1 billion takeover of the power division of French company Alstom fearing higher prices and less choice. The European Commission made the move Monday after an initial investigation indicates potential competition concerns in the market for heavy-duty gas turbines,'' which are used in gas-fired power plants, it said in a statement. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said her anti-competitive concerns also included less innovation in the sector.'' In international business, the European Commission wields major power since its rejection of a multinational deal has thwarted mergers and takeovers in the past, or forced companies into fundamental changes of agreement to meet EU concerns. The commission said that in one sector of the heavy duty gas turbines, the new GE-Alstom merged company would control about half the market in both Europe and the world, excluding China. GE rejected the worries and said in a statement that the gas turbine market is both global and highly competitive. We disagree with the preliminary concerns, raised by the European Commission. The commission has until July 8 to make a final decision.AP

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GE under scrutiny over Alstom deal

BRUSSELS: European Union leaders want to enshrine in international law a goal to cut global emissions by 60 percent by 2050, according to a draft document that puts the bloc on a collision course with the biggest polluters.

The EU is keen to inject urgency into the climate change debate ahead of an international conference in Paris at the end of this year to seek a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

On Wednesday the European Commission, the EU executive, will publish a blueprint for tackling climate change.

A draft seen by Reuters confirms that EU member states aim to declare their own pledges on emissions cuts by the end of March and says other leading nations, including China and the United States, should do the same.

"In aggregate these commitments - in line with science - should put the world on track to reduce global emissions by at least 60 percent in 2050 below 2010 levels," the document seen by Reuters says.

The EU is responsible for only around 9 percent of all emissions. The world's biggest emitters are China, which accounts for 24 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the United States with 12 percent.

The EU document also proposes that the 2015 deal "should preferably be in the form of a protocol", which is the toughest legal option. That could meet resistance from China and the United States, which are likely to prefer looser arrangements than internationally binding law.

Options in a draft negotiating text for the Paris talks range from calls by some developing nations for net zero global emissions by 2050, meaning all greenhouse gas emissions would have to be offset by projects such as planting trees, to only vague goals for limiting emissions.

U.N. leaders say early deadlines on meaningful cuts are crucial as they allow time to try to shame the nations that offer no action into promising to reduce their greenhouse gases.

The EU document also says the European Commission will organise by November an international conference to enhance understanding of the importance of pledges, known as intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs).

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EU pushes for tough Paris climate deal - draft