Brussels, 29/08/2003 (Agence Europe) - The two co-presidents of the Greens/EFA Group of the European Parliament, French national Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Italian Monica Frassoni, call for the European Commission to set in place a "climatic stability pact" to compel the EU to keep its commitments with regards reduction of CO2 emissions as provided for in the Kyoto Protocol. They also call for a real sustainable energy policy to be developed providing for compulsory objectives - reviewed upwards - concerning renewable energies and cogeneration, as well as an annual 1% reduction of energy consumption within the EU.
In a letter addressed to Romano Prodi, the President of the European Commission, both MEPs cite studies published by the European Environment Agency showing that some Member States (Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Ireland) are far from taking part in cutting atmospheric pollution whereas others (Germany and the United Kingdom) are "on the right road".
They also consider that the Italian Presidency's initiative in favour of growth, which aims to increase private investment in favour of trans-European transport networks in particular, "goes against a real sustainable development policy" and that it is necessary to focus investment in rail and inland waterway transport.
To this end, they welcome the agreement reached on Tuesday between the Commission and the German Transport Minister, Manfred Stolpe, aimed at introducing a new tax for heavy vehicles which will partly serve to finance new rail infrastructures (see EUROPE of 27 August, p.7).
Luxembourg Green MEP Claude Turmes and Pierre Jonckheer from Belgium, who both signed the letter, criticised the current EU energy policy. According to Claude Turmes, the nuclear and coal-fired electricity power plants of the EU are only 35% effective, thus losing more energy into the air and water than electricity produced.
Pierre Jonckheer considers the proposal of directive on energy taxation "too weak" to allow Member States to use this instrument in order to respect their Kyoto commitments.