Brussels backs down on break-up of energy giants

The European Commission has watered down plans to open up competition in the EU energy market in the face of opposition from Germany and France ahead of a key January paper on energy.

The commission will on 10 January unveil a major package of initiatives in the field of energy, designed to secure the EU's energy supply, bolster competition in the energy market and cut greenhouse gasses.

But Brussels is set to shy away from a head-to-head confrontation with the incoming German EU ...