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New Commission Can Examine Oil Company Requests Directly

Posted on: Tuesday, 27 December 2005, 21:00 CST

MOSCOW. Dec 27 (Interfax) - A government commission on fuel and energy and mining will be able to consider requests from oil companies directly, bypassing agencies, one of the members of the commission told Interfax.

"The main idea behind the commission is that oil companies can bring their requests and ideas to a higher level than the ministerial level, since it has turned out to be impossible to agree on something at the ministerial level," he said.

However, the commission, which has more than 40 members, is probably too big to be very effective, he said.

Moreover, the commission, which covers all is definitely not going to have the authority to set up oil export schedules. "This still remains with the Industry & Energy Ministry and Rosenergo," he said.

He said neither the date, nor the agenda of the first commission session has been defined. "Clearly it will be held in 2006," he said.

The government approved the resolution creating the commission early in December. Its mandate is to coordinate the efforts of federal and territorial authorities and other institutions "with the goal of creating conditions for the steady advancement and operation of the fuel and energy industries, for energy supplies, for energy conservation and for meeting energy and mineral resource needs."

The task of the commission is to secure the concerted efforts of the authorities in planning and implementing government policy in the energy sector, in developing the key directions of legal regulation in the sector, the rational use and protection of subsoil resources.

The commission is to meet at least once each quarter. The commission chairman, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, has the authority to call extraordinary meetings.

Source: Daily News Bulletin; Moscow - English

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