Stressing the need for the European Union to become independent of Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible, eleven EU Member States (Denmark, Austria, Germany, Spain, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Latvia, Sweden and Slovenia) issued a joint statement on Thursday 7 April calling for the negotiations on the ‘Fit for 55’ package (FF55) to be accelerated and for ambitions to be raised in order to develop renewable energy, renewable gas and energy efficiency.
“Now is the time to be bold and to move ahead with determination with the green transition. Any delay or hesitation will only prolong our energy independence”, they say.
And added: “We therefore call on all Member States to unite in the ongoing FF55 negotiations to ensure an ambitious and swift implementation of the Fit for 55 package”.
According to the signatory countries, an ambitious ‘Fit for 55’ package is not only necessary for the climate, but also represents “an efficient response to Russian aggression as well as the affordable and job creating path out of the crisis”.
While agreeing on the need to continue to look for options to diversify the EU’s energy supply, the eleven Member States stress that this must be done within the framework of the EU’s ambitious climate objectives, respecting the ‘do no harm’ principle and avoiding lock-in effects in the production and use of fossil fuels.
The letter also mentions the importance of maintaining an open and interconnected market-driven EU internal energy market “to minimise price shocks across the EU in case of disruptions of supply”, as well as a “strong” emissions trading system (ETS).
See the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/15j (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)