EU Energy Commissioner visits Cornwall

5.22.44pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 13th Jul 2006

The European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs will visit Cornwall tomorrow (Friday 14th July) at the invitation of Graham Watson, MEP and the Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership (CSEP).

Speaking today, ahead of his visit, Graham Watson, the Lib Dem Member of the European Parliament for South West England and Gibraltar said:

"Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs' visit to Cornwall is another step towards maximising the advantages of British membership of the European Union. To give our projects a better chance of benefiting from Community funding, Commissioners - the top executives of the EU - must be aware of what is going on in my constituency. Cornwall is the county which has done the most in promoting alternative energy sources and it will be a pleasure to share our pioneering experience with the rest of Europe".

Alongside Tim German (Director of Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership) Graham will meet Commissioner Piebalgs at Newquay Airport before visiting Tolvaddon Energy Park. There the delegation will see a selection of presentations on sustainable energy including talks on the social and economic dimensions of sustainable energy and the prospects for wave energy off the north coast of Cornwall.

In the afternoon, accompanied by Graham, Commissioner Piebalgs will meet Matthew Spencer, the Chief Executive of the South West's regional Renewable Energy Office before visiting the new social housing scheme at Ludgvan where the Commissioner will learn more about the important socio-economic work being done.

The Commissioner's visit finishes with a trip to Penzance where he will board a pioneering fishing vessel owned by the University of Exeter, which is being used as part of an on-going government-funded project looking into the use of bio-diesel in fishing fleets.

ENDS