Brussels - The European Union should open talks with Turkey this year on how to bring its energy sector into line with EU laws as part of the country's accession process, the man who is set to take over the bloc's rotating presidency in July said Tuesday.

But opposition from some EU member states means that it may not be possible to do so, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told journalists in Brussels.

"I would hope" to open negotiations on energy issues, "but I'm not sure if this is possible ... It would be wise for everyone (in the EU) to engage Turkey in these energy discussions, but I need broader support to be able open these chapters," Reinfeldt said.

Turkey has been negotiating towards EU membership since 2005, but progress has been stalled by the row over the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus and by the reluctance of key EU members such as France and Germany to accept the idea of Turkish accession.

So far, Turkey has opened talks on less than a third of the 35 subjects - the so-called "chapters" - on which it will have to bring its laws into line with EU legislation.

But following January's row over gas sales between Russia and Ukraine, which hit supplies to the EU, the bloc is desperate to reduce its reliance on imports from Russia by building new pipelines to the Middle East and Caspian Sea through Turkey.

That has raised the pressure on the bloc to open energy talks with Turkey sooner, rather than later.

Key among the various projects is the so-called "Nabucco" gas pipeline from Azerbaijan via Turkey to Austria. At a summit dedicated to energy transit in Prague on May 8, Turkey and the EU agreed to finalize inter-governmental on the pipeline by the end of June.

While Turkey's President Abdullah Gul approved that agreement, he also called on the EU to open the energy chapter as soon as possible.(dpa)