The electricity interconnector between France and Spain is a key link in securing the supply of energy to the Iberian Peninsula and strengthening the stability of the European power grid. Despite this, the interconnection project has met with many obstacles on technical, environmental and financial grounds. In an attempt to unblock this project, the European Commission appointed Mario Monti as European Coordinator for the electricity interconnection between France and Spain. Mr Monti has issued his initial report which provides an overview of the unresolved issues and makes a number of recommendations. These include ways of ensuring that a climate of trust is created by responding to the concerns of parties currently not in favour of the interconnector and finding financial solutions to enable it to go ahead. In January, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero committed to reviving the project and to finding a compromise by 30 June 2008. However, there remains considerable opposition in the regions on both sides of the border.