Strasbourg, 15/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, with a large majority adoption of the report by Eluned Morgan (PES, UK) relating to the Green Paper on Energy, the European Parliament delivered a strong message in favour of sustainable energy, recommending firm objectives for combating climate change. This comes less than one month before adoption by the Commission of a far-reaching, long-awaited energy package.
In a “cleaned up” version of the Morgan report which has become a resolution, the EP shows proof of its determination by first of all calling for a binding target of 30% CO2 emissions reduction by 2020 (on the basis of 1990 levels) and in favour of a 60-80% target by 2050. In this context, it calls for the Community's emission quota trading system to be revised to bring about gradual use of sale by auction or performance assessment based on results, and to include additional sectors with high energy consumption covering all means of freight transport.
The second key point of the Morgan report is the emphasis placed on diversification of energy supply sources and the development of renewable energies. The EP calls for binding sector-specific targets so that the share of renewable energies reaches, in total, 25% of the energy mix by 2020, as well as the establishment of a roadmap at Commission and Council level aimed at reaching the target of 50% renewable energies in the energy mix by 2040.
Furthermore, although the EP acknowledges the role played by nuclear energy in the energy diversification of some Member States and the reduction of CO2 emissions, it has rejected an amendment submitted by the British Conservatives calling for 60% of all electricity produced to come from energy sources and technologies with low levels of carbon emission.
Energy efficiency is also at the heart of the EP's main demands. It invites the Council and the Commission to make the Union the most energy efficient economy in the world by 2020 by reaching a target of at least 20% energy savings by that date. In this context, the EP restates it wants energy efficiency to be promoted in all sectoral policies as a matter of priority. Also, it reiterates its request for an ambitious strategy for the transport sector in the aim of gradually phasing out the use of fossil fuels, reducing the Union's dependency on oil and promoting the gradual use of clean energies for transport, and of bio-fuels in particular.
The Morgan report stresses, moreover, the importance of placing consumers at the heart of future energy policies (mainly for ensuring access to information on prices and offers, as well as free consumer choice of energy providers) and of dealing with the question of energy poverty with greater clarity.
Finally, when it comes to external energy relations, the EP stresses that the EU must define a common position vis-à-vis third countries to increase its capacity to negotiate with producer and consumer countries. In this context, it considers that the Energy Commissioner should have a well-defined mandate determining a European long-term energy planning perspective. Also, the EP calls on the Union to seriously take into account the real risks of deficit in the provision of gas from Russia after 2010 and to demand that Moscow ratify the Energy Charter and its Protocol on transit, which should guarantee part of the foreign investment needed in Russia's energy infrastructure as well as sufficient gas supplies for the Union. (eh)