Eight EU states clash with Brussels over energy liberalisation

An alternative to the European Commission's plan to liberalise the EU's energy sector put forward by eight member states is running into difficulty, with Brussels questioning both the content and legal aspects of the initiative.

The proposal was formally handed to the commission and the Slovenian EU presidency at the end of January, with the backing of Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Slovakia.

Dubbed the third alternative, it is looking for a dif...