At their annual sessions in 2001, the UNECE Committees on Sustainable Energy and on Environmental Policy established a Task Force on Environment and Energy for the period 2002-2005 with a mandate to develop non-legally binding guidelines for decision-makers on reforming energy prices to support sustainable energy development. The guidelines should help, inter alia, in preventing and reducing waste of energy and energy-related environmental impact. Energy and environmental experts have been designated by a number of UNECE Governments in response to the secretariat invitation to participate in the Task Force.

As a first step, the joint Task Force focused on parts I and II of the guidelines, namely, on (a) raising energy prices to economic levels in countries in transition, and (b) reforming energy subsidies throughout Europe. Two consultants were engaged to prepare elements for these guidelines, respectively, using as a basis documents developed by the International Energy Agency, OECD, UNEP, the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, UNECE and other forums. The revised Summary of Recommendations as annexed to the present document available above (Reforming Energy Prices and Subsidies) was checked and approved by the Committee Bureau, thereafter.

The Committee on Sustainable Energy agreed that, once the Committee on Environmental Policy has approved the guidelines, these could be transmitted, thereafter, through the Working Group of Senior Officials, to the Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" in Kiev, for endorsement.