On Tuesday, 3 June, MEPs on the Committee on Industry (ITRE) adopted a draft resolution on the ‘Clean Industrial Deal’. While they have welcomed the content of this initiative that the European Commission presented in February (see EUROPE 13588/1), they encourage it to go further on certain aspects.
A substantial part of the text is dedicated to the issue of affordable energy, and the recommendations are primarily addressed to Member States. According to the elected representatives, Member States absolutely must achieve the 15% electricity grid interconnection target. This means being able to import the equivalent of at least 15% of the country’s electricity production.
Still on the subject of energy, MEPs are insisting on the principle of technological neutrality: the European Commission needs to “take into account [...] all available technologies that contribute to reaching the EU’s climate neutrality goal for 2050”.
At the request of several ITRE committee members (see EUROPE 13638/12), the text’s rapporteur, Tom Berendsen (EPP, Dutch), made clearer reference to renewable energies in this section in addition to low-carbon hydrogen.
Emphasis is also placed on nuclear power: the elected representatives are calling on the European Commission to “strengthen cooperation on the safe development and production of SMRs in Europe and to advance research in nuclear fusion”.
During discussions on the resolution, several MEPs expressed concern about the numerous references to fossil fuels. This aspect [of the text] was corrected, but the rapporteur nevertheless maintained the need to ensure access to low-cost natural gas “for those sectors which cannot rely substantially on electrification in the short-to-medium term”.
On the subject of simplification, MEPs consider the initiatives undertaken by the European Commission to be welcome. Nevertheless, they are asking the institution to do more to tackle the issue of permitting times. On the same subject, Member States are invited to improve their administrative capacities in order to be able to process permit applications more quickly.
Finally, the ITRE Committee discusses the role that trade policy plays in European industry. It advocates “systematic, proactive and proportionate” use of the EU’s trade defence instruments to counter unfair competition in key sectors.
See the ITRE Committee’s draft resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/h5c (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)