Former Maoist Barroso´s empty advice to Chinese leaders

The speech by EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso at the opening of the 

EU-China High Level Meeting on Energy in Brussels, 3 May, again shows that EU leaders live in a dream world of their own:

Vice Premier,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Ministers on the Chinese and the European side,

Dear Günther Öettinger

Excellencies, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen.

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With our European 20-20-20 commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, more than double our share of renewable energy in our energy mix, and improve energy efficiency by 20%, all of this by 2020, we have launched a highly ambitious European energy policy. And we are delivering on it!

These actions are cornerstones of our Europe 2020 agenda for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth: Because you simply cannot have sustainable growth without sustainable energy production and use. But unleashing the potential of this new energy revolution is also creating huge job opportunities. And it will enable us to conserve and invest in key natural resources.

The EU is thus leading what some call the third industrial revolution; we are showing not only that our 2020 objectives can and will be met, but can positively benefit our citizens and provide answers to the issue of climate change, and support our drive for long term sustainable growth.

Barroso´s words about the EU as a leader of "the third industrial revolution" are of course nothing but pure nonsense. The only thing he - and the rest of the EU leaders - is leading is failure to provide real growth for the great majority of EU members states. And not a word by Barroso about the only thing that could make a real contribution to energy and growth in Europe! - The shale gas revolution.

The former Portuguese Maoist´s empty words cannot have made much of an impression on the Vice Pemier and the other Chinese representatives. Maybe they reminded Barroso about the fact that China - holder of the world´s biggest shale gas reserves - has decided to speed up unconventional gas exploration. That is where the real "third industrial revolution" is.

Hopefully "Dear Günther Öettinger" had something more sensible to say to the Chinese visitors.