Strasbourg, 14/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - Overall satisfaction with the results of the Spring European Council was expressed by representatives from the German presidency of the Council, the Commission and most MEPs participating in the plenary session. They were no less enthusiastic about the compromise obtained by the EU27 on the common integrated approach for fighting climate change and guaranteeing energy security, the main subject at the 8-9 March summit.
The German foreign affairs minister, Franck Walter Steinmeier opened the debate by welcoming the results from a “summit, crowned with success that showed the Union was manageable with 27 members”. He also added that, “this was a dynamic summit, which filled us with hope and courage”. He illustrated how the gas and oil quarrels between Russia and the Ukraine had demonstrated, “to what extent we are vulnerable” with regard to energy supply. Steinmeier underlined that, “the examples of phenomena resulting from global warming are striking and present a very real threat”. Mr Steinmeier welcomed the “giant step” taken by the Union in adopting an integrated policy on energy and climate change. The Head of German diplomacy pointed out that energy consumption presented the biggest risk to climate. He said that the Union was committed unilaterally and independently (commitment made last week during the European Council) to a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020 and that the Union would increase this to 30% if other industrialised countries followed. Steinmeier also pointed to the adoption to this end, of the Triennial Action plan for 2007-09 in the energy field, which consisted of five sections. The two main sections count on a 20% saving in Union energy consumption by 2020 and the development of renewable energies that account for 20% of the EU27's energy mix. The ministers explained, “We successfully convinced some of the member states that had expressed reservations about the binding nature of the target for renewables and who thought it too ambitious, that the Commission would now be in charge of sharing out the efforts to be made”.
The European Council also validated the balance sheet for the direction of the reformed Lisbon strategy. Steinmeier pointed out that this would soon begin to bear fruit. He affirmed that, “the message has to be this: we should not be left with our arms dangling but instead, consolidate national budges and continue reforms”. He was also pleased with the “positive assessments” on the labour market. The president of the Council highlighted two other accomplishment of the European Council: the 1% target in 2009 for the deficit in transposition of Community law and the commitment of the EU27 to reduce the administrative burden by 25% (the burden from Community legislation affecting companies but agreeing to set national objectives in 2008). He concluded that, “the president of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso said that the summit is the most striking he has taken part in since the beginning of his mandate. The preparatory work by the Commission and Parliament was indispensable to the success of this summit. Europe cannot succeed if we do not work together”.
Industry Commissioner, Günter Verheugen welcomed the support of the Council to the work and proposals from the Commission. By adopting an integrated approach for fighting climate change and guaranteeing energy security, the Union, “sent a strong sign to the rest of the world…and made liar out of those who said a Union with 27 couldn't work”. The Commissioner also welcomed the fact that Heads of State and Governments had recognised that the partnership for growth and jobs is on the right track. The European Commissioner asserted that, “We have not completely succeeded in reversing the trend but we are on track. We are expecting the creation of 7 million new jobs in the next two years”. Verheugen was also pleased that member states had unanimously agreed to the Commission presenting recommendations for the national agendas. He explained that the Commission had now defined three Union objectives: firstly integrating integrated policy on energy and climate change into the strategy for growth and jobs; boosting the social dimension, the third pillar, by focusing effort on education and training and finally increasing strategy profile. The Commissioner for Industry insisted that European action at an economic level was the best response for ensuring competitiveness in the world. He was also keen to point out that reducing red tape did not mean affecting social or environmental standards. He provided assurances that the Commission would do everything to try and reduce obstacles to developing energy efficiency and renewables.
“The Commission will show the work it can do to share the load on reducing CO² emissions among member states and ensure the development of renewable energy so that they come to represent 20% of the EU energy mix, taking careful account of starting conditions and those available to meet these targets,” he said, deploring, however, the fact that “in Europe, we pay too much for our energy”. “The European Council has delivered clear guidance to industry so that it can develop a clear strategy to put the cleanest possible products on the market,” he added, saying he was sure that European industry would do its best.
Speaking on behalf of the EPP-EED group, Belgian MEP Marianne Thyssen said that for once European Council conclusions had been brief and clear. This was a view shared by many MEPs who called for words to be put into action. Ms Thyssen said that her group was in favour of setting up a temporary committee on climate change within the European Parliament and argued for an information campaign to persuade citizens of the validity of the Spring Council decisions. The Spring Council, said German MEP Martin Schulz for the Socialist group, was a success for everyone, not just the EPP-ED, Ms Thyssen having stressed the role her group played in the preparation of the Summit. Mr Schulz also drew attention to the fact that “Africa, the continent which contributes least to pollution, is the one which feels its negative effects the most. Europe has a moral responsibility towards Africa”. With no great enthusiasm, Alexander Graf (ALDE, Germany) welcomed the “good” action plan for energy and proposals to cut the administrative burden, while calling on member states to play their part in these efforts. Mr Lambsdorff said the biggest success of this Council was that member states had shown they could “agree on targets although they were not clearly enough defined”. The Union for a Europe of Nations (UEN) group view was positive: Polish MEP Michael Kaminski was delighted that the first 27-member state Council had shown that decisions could be taken in an enlarged Europe. Italian Green MEP Monica Frassoni was more measured: the desire to take forward the Europe of results was all well and good, but how could this be done without the Constitution? While also welcoming the European Council rejection of French President Jacques Chirac's “nuclear offensive”, Ms Frassoni said she was “concerned by the noises off-stage in the Council on the choice of Article 175 point 2 for the implementation of the new standards, an Article which excluded consultation of the European Parliament and required unanimity in the Council”. Speaking for the GUE/NGL, German MEP Gabriele Zimmer regretted that “combating poverty remained a marginal issue at the Spring Council”. She felt that “the revenue form an environment tax could fund the social policy which is in need of resources”. Swede Nils Lundgren (Independence and Democracy) felt the European Council decision had been good, but there had to be a Constitution if the EU27 wanted to be able to act, he stressed. Austrian Andreas Mölzer (Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty) highlighted the Council “gaps”, particularly the lack of progress on the storage and treatment of nuclear waste. Finally, British MEP James Allister (Democratic Unionist Party) criticised the Council conclusions as “the start of a whole new wave of regulations”. “We are even going to be told which kind of electric light bulb we can use,” he said, predicting that “these bulbs will come from China”. (eh/lg)