BRUSSELS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jose Maunel Barroso said late Thursday night that the heads of state and government of the European Union (EU) are having "general consensus" on the idea of a common energy policy.

    "I am very delighted that the European Council is backing our call for an energy policy for Europe, (our call) that it makes sense to have one common strategy for Europe," Barroso told a news conference at the end of the first day of an EU summit.

    The European Council is Brussels jargon that refers to the mechanism of EU summits, the top decision-making regime of the EU.

    "European leaders agree to promote competitiveness, coherence, solidarity and sustainability."

    "Competitiveness, through integration of markets; coherence, developing an external energy policy; solidarity, through infrastructure and inter-connections; and sustainability, with more ambition in energy efficiency and renewables."

    He said the EU leaders will make conclusions Friday, which he wished to be "strong and very committed."

    "To be credible externally, we must be united internally," he said.

    Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said the leaders had a wide-ranging discussion over the energy issue on Thursday.

    Topics included the security of networks, prices, sources of supply, Europe's growing dependency over the next few years and alternatives to exports such as renewable energy and higher energy efficiency, he told the same press conference.

    He cautioned that only general principles have been agreed upon and that the leaders are expected to go to details on Friday.

    He stressed, however, Thursday's debate is substantial and of historical significance.

    He said the issue would be followed up by a report of the European Commission in the June summit and the EU will have annual reviews on its energy policy.

    At the June summit, EU leaders will discuss foreign policy aspects of the energy policy, he said. And in 2007, during Germany's EU presidency, there will be a major review.