The Strategic Energy Review is a strategic exercise conducted by the European Commission. The communication Energy policy for Europe (COM(2007) 1 final) was issued in 2007. This document provided the priorities of the European Commission for the next two years. For example, it announced the currently ongoing Strategic Energy Technology Plan.
On June 2008, the draft 18-month programme of the Council was published. This document announces the Second Action Plan on Energy Policy for Europe (2010-2012). This document will be be prepared in the light of the European Council's examination of the forthcoming Strategic Energy Review in Spring 2009. The ongoing public consultation on the Second Strategic Energy Review is therefore of crucial importance (closing 10 September 2008).
The Review will come at a strategic moment in the context of the implementation of the 20% target for renewables, the launch of the Strategic Energy Technology Plan, or the upcoming FP7 review. Moreover, it will set the priorities for the new European Commission, the renewed European Parliament and corresponding Committees.
The Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) proposes a series of six European industrial initiatives to be launched at short notice, one of which is the European Wind Initiative. The financing of initiatives is not defined in this Communication, but shall be addressed by the upcoming European Commission Communication on financing low-carbon technologies. A public consultation shall be opened.
The Communication towards Joint Programming in research (COM(2008) 468) proposes a new approach based on Joint Programming for optimising the use of European public R&D funds through enhanced cooperation. Joint Programming involves Member States developing and implementing common strategic research agendas. It may involve strategic collaboration between existing national programmes or jointly planning and setting up entirely new ones. In both cases, it entails putting resources together, selecting or developing the most appropriate instrument(s), implementing, collectively monitoring and reviewing progress. This new approach makes use of article 165 of the EU treaty. For more information, please look at the Euractiv dossier on Joint Programming.