EU leaders will discuss how to strengthen the bloc’s bargaining power, including the collective buying of gas, when they debate the European Commission communication on Energy Union. Chairing the summit, European Council President Donald Tusk spearheaded the idea of EU countries joining forces to negotiate gas contracts with Russian state monopoly Gazprom last year. At the time, he was Poland’s prime minister, Euractiv.com reports.

Energy efficiency is not on the draft agenda for the 19-20 March meeting in Brussels, despite the Energy Union’s demand that countries give it “primary consideration”. Renewable energy is mentioned, but only in the context of cutting “market-distorting” public support schemes.

The Commission communication called for member states’ energy deals with non-EU nations to be vetted by the executive, before being signed. That is up for debate by heads of state and government.

A European Council document sent to member states, and seen by EurActiv, sets out the broad subjects the national leaders will cover.

Energy Union has five “dimensions”: Energy security, internal energy market, energy efficiency, climate and research and innovation. Although all five are important, the paper said. The European Council will focus on security, the internal energy market and climate diplomacy.

“The Council would be foolish to discuss ways to improve security of supply without stressing the importance of energy efficiency and renewable”, said Brook Riley, of Friends of the Earth Europe. Meeting Europe’s full efficiency potential would cut gas imports by 40% over the next fifteen years, according to Commission analysis, she added.

The draft guidelines for conclusions, dated 2 March, ask for national reactions to those subjects. Tomorrow’s meetings of EU environment and energy ministers will likely also shape talks later this month. “We’re counting on energy ministers to restore some balance in tomorrow’s energy council”, Riley said.

The summit will be dominated by the Energy Union, which was launched last week. The Energy Union is the EU’s response to its dependence on Russian gas, which was brutally exposed by the Ukraine crisis and when Russia turned off the taps in 2009, causing shortages in the EU. It has since developed beyond questions of just security of supply to encompass issues such as fighting climate change.