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The European Union yesterday (4 March) took a step to reduce its energy dependence, especially on Russia, seeking instead to improve connections between renewable energy giants Spain and Portugal, and the rest of Europe.

The European Commission has also launched a initiative to attract 100 million of investment to help complete the EU energy market.EU energy ministers are meeting today (5 March) in Brussels to discuss the plans for the Energy Union, the project designed to bolster the bloc's security of supply.

The executive is keen to complete a single European energy market and has cited conflict between Ukraine and the main EU energy supplier Russia as a key reason to invest in infrastructure that can maximise alternative supplies.

At a summit, the leaders of Spain, Portugal and France sought how to transit to the rest of Europe the spare energy produced south of the Pyrenees mountains separating France from Spain and Portugal.

While lacking in oil and gas, the two nations have strongly developed renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.

Portugal generates about 25% percent of the energy it produces from renewables, while Spain generates some 17%. During peak production periods, the two nations have surplus energy, but the lack of connections over the Pyrenees means the surplus is lost.

The summit agreed that a "high level group" would step up efforts to develop energy interconnections in southwest Europe and ensure that all planned projects are finished on time.

"Today we have started a unique process in regional convergence in energy and I would like to see more in all of Europe," Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker told a news conference at the end of the summit.

10% target

Brussels wants cross-border links to equate to at least 10% of a nation's power generation capacity by 2020, and some of the projects would be financed by the 315 billion Juncker investment plan.

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EU moves to improve Energy Union interconnections