Ahead of trialogue negotiations with the EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, on Wednesday 17 January, adopted a strong position in line with the EU’s climate commitments on the three flagship legislative texts of the clean energy package – the revised energy efficiency and renewable energy directives and the regulation on energy and climate governance – opting for two binding targets of 35% by 2030 for renewables and energy efficiency.
Step back but solid position on energy efficiency. Parliament voted by 485 votes to 132, with 58 abstentions, in support of the amended proposal for the recast of the energy efficiency directive, opting for a binding EU energy efficiency target of at least 35% by 2030 and national indicative targets. This is higher than the 30% target proposed by the Commission but lower than the 40% proposed by the S&D Group and its rapporteur Miroslav Poche (Czech Republic) and backed in committee voting.
MEPs also improved the proposed rule on energy saving by allowing energy consumption in transport to be counted.
“The European Parliament has substantially increased the ambition for energy savings. We have also managed to close most of the loopholes that slowed down the progress under the existing legislation, such as including the transport sector and pushing member states to replace those measures that do not deliver savings”, Poche said.
“We have also defeated efforts to include adjustments mechanisms that would have undermined both the targets and investor confidence”, said shadow rapporteur for the Greens/EFA Group Benedek Jávor (Czech Republic).
To make sure that energy efficiency savings are felt by consumers, Parliament backed the requirement on the member states to make yearly energy efficiency improvements of 1.5% for energy clients, helping to tackle the problem of energy poverty, said Javor, indicating that, in his view, the European Parliament is in “a strong position” to deliver a strong energy efficiency directive “without loopholes and exceptions” in its negotiations with the Council.
Ambition steady on renewables but lower on bioenergy. Parliament voted by 492 votes to 88, with 107 abstentions, to back the amended proposal for the recast of the renewables directive, confirming the binding target of a 35% share of EU primary energy consumption for renewable energy proposed by José Blanco López (S&D, Spain) and supported in committee. This is a much higher target than the 27% proposed by the Commission but national targets should also be set, from which member states will be allowed to deviate up to a maximum of 10% under certain conditions.
On biofuels, Parliament supported the target of having a 12% share for renewables in the energy consumed by the transport sector in each member state by 2030, including a capping of the contribution of first generation biofuels (that is, from food and feed crops) at 2017 levels with a maximum of 7% in road and rail transport. MEPs also supported a ban on the use of palm oil in biofuels from 2021. The share of advanced biofuels, renewable transport fuels of non-biological origin, waste-based fossil fuels and renewable electricity will have to be at least 1.5% by 2021, rising to 10% by 2030.
Parliament also said that, by 2022, 90% of fuel stations along the roads of the trans-European networks should be equipped with high power recharging points for electric vehicles’
It voted against the amendment supported by the S&D and Greens/EFA Groups seeking to ban burning wood for energy production. “Parliament failed to establish satisfactory sustainability criteria for solid biomass. We will continue to be able to burn wood in Europe, an absurdity in climate and economic terms”, regretted Claude Turmes (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg).
MEPs also approved the proposals adopted in committee ensuring that consumers who produce electricity on their premises are entitled to consume it and install storage systems without having to pay any charges, fees or taxes. In addition, the negotiating remit asks member states to assess existing barriers to consuming energy produced on the consumer’s own premises, to promote such consumption, and to ensure that consumers, particularly households, can join renewable energy communities without being subject to unjustified conditions or procedures.
Governance system consistent with Paris Agreement. Parliament voted by 466 to 139, with 38 abstentions, to adopt the revised draft regulation establishing an energy and climate governance system, prepared by two Greens/EFA MEPs – Michèle Rivasi (France) and Claude Turmes Luxembourg) – which seeks to bring EU legislation into line with the Paris climate agreement of 2015. MEPs adopted its innovative facets: a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, submission of integrated national energy and climate plans to 2030 for achieving energy efficiency and renewables targets, a methane strategy to be drafted by the Commission and measures to address energy poverty.
“The European Parliament has taken a historic, compliant and consistent position with the EU’s climate commitments. This policy will help develop genuine energy independence, create jobs and secure investments”, the rapporteurs argued.
Negotiations with the Council on these three texts can begin immediately as ministers agreed their position on energy efficiency on 26 June 2017 (see EUROPE 11816) and on renewable energy and governance on 18 December 2017 (see EUROPE 11929). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)