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BRUSSELS, Belgium, December 6, 2006 (Refocus
Weekly)
The European Union should set binding targets for
reducing carbon emissions and for increasing the use of renewable
energies, according to a report adopted without opposition by one of
its committees.
The Industry, Research & Energy Committee welcomes the
Commission's green paper on a continental strategy for sustainable
energy, but stresses that changing conditions in the broader global
energy market need to be taken into account. MEP author Eluned
Morgan of Britain says the committee wants a systematic approach to
production, distribution and consumption, in order to develop a
policy which secures affordable energy.
To diversify energy sources, the committee says the EU needs a
stable long-term policy framework, with binding sectoral targets for
renewables to reach 25% in primary energy by 2020 and a roadmap to
reach 50% by 2040. It recognizes the role that nuclear plays in some
countries, but says decisions on the future of nuclear must be taken
by member states individually.
The proposed European energy policy would be based on three core
objectives, including sustainability that includes competitive green
power and green fuel sources, as well as competitiveness to
stimulate investment in clean energy production. It wants to secure
Europe’s position as a “cutting edge leader in the development of
energy technologies” and to tackle the EU’s rising dependence on
imported energy through diversification of sources.
Six priority areas have been identified and supported by 29 concrete
suggestions for possible new action, including a proposed strategic
EU energy review that would analyse both the advantages and
disadvantages of various energy sources, from indigenous renewables
to coal and nuclear. The Green Paper suggests that agreement may
need to be found on an overall energy objective, which balances the
goals of sustainable energy use, competitiveness and security of
supply, and one objective might be to “aim for a minimum level of
overall EU energy mix originating from secure and low-carbon energy
sources.”
To tackle climate change, the members of the European Parliament say
EU leaders should agree within the next year on a binding CO2 target
for 2020 and an indicative target for 2050. The existing Emissions
Trading Scheme must be changed to include a move towards auctioning
or benchmarking based on output, and to include more emitting
sectors, including freight transport.
The report asks the Council and the Commission to make Europe the
most energy efficient economy in the world by 2020, and to set
energy efficiency measures as cross-cutting priority for all EU
policy areas. It supports an EU target for energy efficiency
improvements of at least 20% by 2020, and the MEPs call for an EU
strategy on transport energy use, aiming at the phasing out of
fossil fuel, a reduction in oil dependency and the gradual
introduction of clean energy.
The committee stressed that consumers must be placed at the centre
of all future energy policies, and that energy poverty should
feature more clearly in Commission proposals. Consumers should have
easy access to price and choice information, to an easy method of
switching energy provider and a right to be heard by the regulators
in each country of the union.
It also says a common stance on third countries is needed to
increase the EU's ability to negotiate with energy producing and
consuming countries. They want a well-defined mandate with a
long-term energy planning vision.
The report will be examined this month in Strasbourg.
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