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BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - European Union leaders appeared headed for a clash over crafting a joint energy policy at their summit starting Thursday, amid protectionist sniping over the shielding of national oil and gas companies from takeovers.
On the eve of the talks, which are meant to focus on adopting measures to boost jobs and economic growth, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel called on all leaders to put aside nationalist priorities and agree on a plan to give the EU more leverage in the global marketplace and avoid gas shortages.
"We want to break new ground by debating an energy policy for Europe that covers secure, competitive and durable European energy supplies and leads to a common foreign and trade policy concept in energy issues," Schuessel, who will be chairing the summit, said Wednesday in a letter to his EU counterparts.
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