There is alarm at the degree of uncertainty and complacency about affordable, secure and low carbon energy supplies has grown. It is clear that investment is urgently required, notably in a low carbon, interconnected and innovative energy system, that makes us less reliant on imports of highly volatile and dirty fossil fuels. The value of energy companies has slumped since 2008, the public purse is severely constrained, but more than enough money is around in the investment community and clear policy is needed in order to release it. No country is an energy island, so EU policy is particularly important. We need leadership and direction from the EU and its Member States in developing and agreeing an energy policy framework through to 2030. At the heart of that framework, we see two core policies. First, a revised EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). The ETS needs to include a minimum price for carbon, providing governments and investors with the confidence to support innovation through investment. Second, and contrary to UK Government policy, a target for the proportion of energy to be delivered through renewable energy until 2030 is required. Unless we find a way of doing this, our future energy could well be highly polluting, unaffordable and insecure. Other recommendations from the Committee include: a greenhouse gas reduction target of 40% compared to 1990 levels, in line with an 80% reduction by 2050; development of electricity interconnections between Member States; that the UK Government also examine the potential for a regulatory framework to increase gas storage.

Energy is crucially important to all of us. We depend on an abundant and affordable supply of energy. The European Commission's flagship Energy Union Strategy recognises this fact and has five aims: energy security; the completion of the internal energy market; energy efficiency; emissions reduction; and research and innovation. An agreed EU energy governance framework will underpin the relationships between the EU institutions and Member States. Such a framework will seek to meet the energy policy objectives of the EU on the one hand, and fulfil national aims on the other. Capacity markets can help to secure energy supply in the medium term at a competitive price. We call for the development of common EU standards for capacity markets, a greater emphasis on the role of regional co-operation, energy storage and demand side measures, and the opening up of domestic capacity markets to cross-border mechanisms. We argue that any EU co-ordination of capacity markets should aim to mitigate the distortion of competition and crossborder trade.

Foreign Policies of EU Member States provides a clear and current overview of the motivations and outcomes of EU Member States regarding their foreign policy-making within and beyond the EU. It provides an in-depth analysis of intra-EU policy-making and sheds light, in an innovative and understandable way, on the lesser-known aspects of the inter-EU and extra-EU foreign policies of the twenty-eight Member States. The text has an innovative method of thematic organisation in which case study state profiles emerge via dominant foreign policy themes. The text examines the three main policy challenges currently faced by the twenty-eight Member States: First, EU Member States must cooperate within the mechanisms of the EU, including the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Second, EU Member States continue to construct their own inter-EU foreign policies. Third, the sovereign prerogative exercised by all EU Member States is to construct their own foreign policies on everything from trade and defence with the rest of the world. This combination of clarity, thematic structure and empirical case studies make this an ideal textbook for all upper-level students of European foreign policy, comparative European politics and European studies.

This report provides an overview of the work of the European Union Committee in session 2013-14. It highlights some of the key policies examined through scrutiny work and inquiries, reflects on the Committee's work with the EU institutions and other national parliaments, and gives a forward look at the work being undertaken in session 2014-15.

For the foreseeable future the overall use of nuclear electricity in the European Union is unlikely to change significantly despite the controversies surrounding its use amongst the EU’s nation states. The author questions the role that nuclear electricity plays in meeting the challenges of providing secure, competitive and sustainable energy to support the development of the low carbon economy in the EU. Analysis presented focuses on the evolution of the discourse on nuclear energy amongst policy makers at European and national levels as well as amongst the public.

This book focuses on the relationship established between China, the world’s second largest economy, and Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter. Due to Saudi Arabia’s dominance of the world oil market, China is increasingly focusing its attention on the Saudi Arabia as a reliable oil supplier while Saudi Arabia sees China as an enormous potential market and strategic trade partner. It investigates both countries’ motives for establishing a strategic relationship and outlines the potential for successful co-operation between them. It then goes on to address the wider implications for the United States in the Middle East.

In September 2013 the VDZ extended a warm welcome to the delegates of the 7th International VDZ Congress "Process Technology of Cement Manufacturing". From 25 - 27 September the congress again served as a forum for the cement industry, with engineers, researchers and equipment suppliers sharing their knowledge on state-of-the-art cement manufacturing technology. Nearly forty speakers from around the world reported on their specialist fields. More than six hundred participants from almost 50 countries heard lectures on topics of high relevance to those working along the value chain of cement and concrete. In times of an about-turn in energy policy, sustainability, energy efficiency and the use of natural resources were again key topics, as well as technical advancement in grinding and burning technology. An outlook on future developments in the global cement and energy markets and research reports on new cements completed the congress programme. Even if the global economy is still facing enormous challenges and the economic growth of the emerging countries has slowed down, cement remains a building material without which modern society could not function. Technological progress and the predicted increase in global demand for cement are the basis for the future growth of our industry. The VDZ Congress 2013 has once again illustrated how cement producers and users, researchers and equipment suppliers can work together to successfully master the challenges our industry faces.

This report provides an overview of the work of the European Union Committee in session 2012-13. It highlights some of the key policies examined through scrutiny work and inquiries, reflects on the Committee's work with thie EU institutinos and other national parliaments, and gives a forward look at the work being undertaken in session 2013-14.