As you all know, third-party access in gas and power in Germany is on a 
negotiated basis.  You do not need to read below, but the highlight is that 
the trade association, VIK, representing industrial users of energy, has 
walked away from the negotiations of a third-party access regime in the gas 
industry in Germany.  This is a real political blow for the German Economics 
Ministry, which has been very resistant to regulated third-party access, in 
the belief that negotiations were the way to proceed.  Just a brief update 
for all of you.   mcs
---------------------- Forwarded by Mark Schroeder/LON/ECT on 19/12/2000 
09:39 ---------------------------
   Viviana Florio                19/12/2000 09:07

To: Mark Schroeder/LON/ECT@ECT, Peter Styles/LON/ECT@ECT
cc:  

Subject: FYI: After yesterdays failure to make any progress: VIK steps out of 
Gas-VVII negotiations on improved grid access conditions

Hello,

sorry, I forgot to mention this at yesterday's staff meeting. 

Viviana
---------------------- Forwarded by Viviana Florio/FRA/ECT on 19/12/2000 
10:13 ---------------------------


Carsten Haack
15/12/2000 18:30
To: Andreas Radmacher/FRA/ECT@ECT, Jacob Meins/FRA/ECT@ECT, Carsten 
Sterz/LON/ECT@ECT, David Gallagher/LON/ECT@ECT, Paul Hennemeyer/LON/ECT@ECT, 
Thomas Schmitz/FRA/ECT@ECT, Helge-J_rgen Beil/FRA/ECT@ECT, Uta 
Dernedde/FRA/ECT@ECT, Suryan Wirya Simunovic/LON/ECT@ECT, Michael 
Schuh/FRA/ECT@ECT, Christopher McKey/LON/ECT@ECT, Peter 
Kreuzberg/FRA/ECT@ECT, Doug Wood/LON/ECT@ECT, Viviana Florio/FRA/ECT@ECT
cc:  

Subject: After yesterdays failure to make any progress: VIK steps out of 
Gas-VVII negotiations on improved grid access conditions

Yesterday was the last "negotiation" round before the scheduled meeting with 
the minister of economics on Monday
Again no suprises yesterday: The gas incumbents did not move an inch on the 
three current issues:
-access to storage
-management of capacity constraints
-transparency

Somewhat as a suprise came the attached letter plus press statement today 
from VIK stating that they are not willing to spend any more time without a 
significant change on the gas side. This decision was supposingly driven by 
board members of VIK today.

From our prospective it is good news that VIK (finally) takes a stand to get 
some REAL improvement in the access conditions.
Details psl see attached (german) press statement:



Happy to answer any questions

Carsten