British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso joined forces Thursday in pushing for a reform of the European energy market and strong action on climate change ahead of a key European summit, according to dpa. On his first visit to the commission - the European Union's executive - in the almost eight months since he took office, Brown expressed Britain's "full support for the commission's proposals to create competitive and effective energy markets." He also gave his backing to the commission's plans for climate change, calling for the creation of an independent European bank to oversee the bloc's market for carbon-dioxide emissions permits. The issues of energy-market liberalization and the capping of emissions permits are set to feature high on the agenda of a meeting of EU heads of government on March 13-14. In both cases, proposals from Barroso's commission have already faced a firestorm of criticism from mainland European member states, especially France and Germany. They will need strong political support from other states to gain EU-wide acceptance. And Barroso was clearly relieved to have Brown's resounding backing, saying that the prime minister "has been at the forefront" of the debate on global warming and market liberalization. Britain is the EU's third-largest member and wields considerable influence in the bloc when it chooses to do so. However, Brown has been criticized for an apparent lack of interest in the EU and for only focusing on its economic aspects. "The EU is essential to the success of Britain, and a Britain fully engaged in Europe is essential to the success of the EU ... On all major issues, we are at the centre of the agenda," Brown retorted when asked about this perception. The premier also listed the four priorities which he saw as crucial to the EU's future, saying that the bloc "is about far more than simply economics." Those priorities are creating global prosperity, tackling climate change, boosting global security and eradicating poverty, he said. In September, Barroso's commission proposed ambitious laws forcing companies which supply energy to give up the control of the pipelines and power lines which transmit it, in order to stimulate competition. France and Germany, where a handful of local companies dominate the domestic market, oppose the move. Four months later, the commission proposed tightening the laws by which EU industries are allowed to emit CO2. At present, heavy industries are given free permits to emit the greenhouse gas, but the commission is pushing for a market-based system.
