On Wednesday 25 June, MEPs in the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) adopted the own-initiative report by Beata Szydło (ECR, Polish) on the security of energy supply by 56 votes to 15, with one abstention. The plenary vote will follow in July.
Co-rapporteur Yvan Verougstraete (Renew Europe, Belgian) believes that after several weeks of negotiations, “an ambitious compromise has been reached”, taking into account “current geopolitical, climatic and industrial realities”.
In particular, the text highlights the importance of renewable energies and nuclear power for the EU’s security and strategic autonomy.
Pilar del Castillo Vera (Spanish), co-rapporteur for the EPP, welcomed the fact that the report emphasised “the key role” of technological neutrality “in strengthening the security of energy supply”.
The text also recognises the role that domestic production of natural gas can play as a “transitional measure” and, “where deemed justified by individual Member States”, to contribute to security of supply and avoid exposure to adverse geopolitical developments.
This point concerning gas production had given rise to debate, since the first version of the report emphasised the need to “increase” natural gas production in the EU and the European Economic Area (see EUROPE 13616/31).
This report was negotiated in parallel with the release of the European Commission’s ‘REPowerEU’ Communication calling for a shift away from Russian fossil fuels and the resulting legislative proposal targeting Russian gas (see EUROPE 13661/5).
Parliament’s report therefore refers to this and also stresses that “energy dependence on Russia should not be either replaced by new dependencies on individual suppliers of energy technologies, components or critical raw materials”.
To see the draft report: https://aeur.eu/f/hka (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)