DW-World.de
Deutsche Welle

European Union energy ministers meeting in Luxembourg have agreed on liberalising energy markets and measures to prevent giant utilities from unfairly dominating the market. The deal brings to an end a year of bitter wrangling between member states after the European Commission, the EU's executive, proposed laws aimed at increasing competition in the bloc's energy market. The new deal sets out exactly when and how European companies will be able to take over rivals in other EU states. At the heart of the proposal is the "unbundling" of the sector by which companies which both produce and transport energy are forced to give up control of their transmission systems. The deal must now be backed by the European Parliament, which has so far taken a much tougher line on breaking up utilities.