In Strasbourg on Wednesday 14 March, the European Parliament rejected by a large majority (485 to 177 and 36 abstentions) the draft resolution from a coalition headed by the ecologists, extreme left and Italian MEPs of the Five Star Movement, objecting to the delegated act for a new list of energy infrastructure projects of common interest (PCI).
The coalition said the list of PCI, submitted at the end of 2017, includes over 100 projects in the fossil fuels sector.
The list includes 173 projects in total, of which 110 are in the electricity sector and smart networks, 53 for gas, and 6 for oil (see EUROPE 11910).
“These projects are crucial for the creation of a well-functioning internal market in the EU and they support the ambition of a stable, secure and affordable supply of energy (...) It would have been pure madness to block these projects”, said Krisjanis Karins of Latvia, speaking on behalf of the EPP.
Reinhard Bütikofer of Germany said for the Greens/EFA Group that “the EU is making a big mistake by blindly rubber stamping a very high number of gas projects including TAP pipeline, Midcat and Eridan, as part of the projects of common interest. We believe this is an overestimation of gas demand and will only lead to higher tariffs and an increase in our energy bills”. He denounced a decision which “flies in the face of its commitment to the Paris agreement”. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)