Strasbourg, 16/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - Claude Turmes (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg), who was rapporteur on the renewable energies directive aimed at ensuring the share of green energy sources in the EU energy mix amounts to 20% by 2020 thus contributing to reducing CO2 emissions, was applauded by all his peers during the debate on Tuesday 16 December preceding the plenary vote on the energy/climate package for the firm stand he took in Commission/Council/Parliament trialogue dealings concluded on 98 December (EUROPE 9800). Thanking his shadow rapporteurs - Fional Hall (ALDE, UK), Britta Thomsen (PES, Denmark), Umberto Guidoni (GUE/NGL, Italy) and Werner Langen (EPP-ED, Germany) - for the support of their groups before a vote on Wednesday 17 December that should confirm the compromise of 9 December, Mr Turmes also hailed French Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo for having convinced Italy to waive reservation that had at one time threatened agreement.. During the last trialogue, negotiators had managed to resolve the last outstanding issue: the revision clause in 2014 wanted at all costs by Rome, and the cooperation mechanism that allows several member states to be involved in common infrastructure projects for green energies. It was agreed that review, rejected by Parliament, should not affect the overall 20% objective and that national objectives would not endanger the existing national support systems.
Before a vote to consecrate work that has lasted a long while, but nonetheless achieved on the basis of a very complete initial proposal from the European Commission, Mr Turmes recalled the first aim of the text: - to provide a stable legislative framework that guarantees investment and provides legal security by the binding nature of its objectives. He spoke of how important it was to have very detailed national action plans that put sufficient pressure on member states to reach the targets set. Mr Turmes gave his assurance that the flexibility of the revision clause in 2014 will not allow objectives to be reviewed downward but to proceed to adjustments to improve the way cooperation mechanisms work. Via such mechanisms, investment by one member state in a wind farm in another state will allow it to repatriate green electricity capacity that will be counted in its national objective. The only disappointment highlighted by the Luxembourg MEP was the chapter devoted to renewables in transport, a sector in which he would have liked to see the contribution of biomass promoted.
Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs welcomed the balance of the new text that provides a “whole series of measures and schemes that will provide investors with green energy predictability”. “The Council has ensured that everyone takes part in the effort for the Community 20% target. Cooperation must be allowed and no technology must be ruled out. The new text also takes account of the question of rural space. The way is now traced out and member states now know how to go about things”, Mr Piebalgs said with delight in a wave of optimism, describing the 20% target as “modest”. “I am sure we can go beyond that”, he said. This was appreciated by Mr Turmes whose dream is to have a 50% target by 2040. “This directive triggers the green energy revolution. It will be necessary to accompany it by two measures - more money from the European Investment Bank and Commission proposals concerning regional cooperation”, Mr Turmes concluded, recommending increased cooperation between countries of the North and Baltic, between Mediterranean countries in the context of the solar plan initiated by France, or between countries of Eastern Europe for the development of biomass. The 9 December agreement integrates parliament's proposals on cooperation mechanisms to help member states: carry out common projects with one or more member states in the production of electricity or green heating and cooling; to transfer energy statistics produced in one member state (or third country) in which they have invested their national objective; to merge and coordinate their national support systems.
The compromise supports the objective of at least 10% renewables in transport by 2020. According to the agreement: 2nd generation biofuels produced from waste, residue or cellulosic and lignite cellulosic non-food biomass will be credited twofold compared to the 10% objective; green electricity for trains will only be counted once; green electricity consumed by electric cars will be credited 2.5 times their contribution; to be taken into account, biofuels will have to create savings of at least 35% in CO2 emissions compared to fossil fuels; from 2017, CO2 savings from existing plant will have to rise from 50% of those in new installations to at least 60%; the Commission will update a methodology to measure CO2 emissions from indirect modifications from soil change, namely when crops for biofuel production are used on land previously taken up by food crops, which have since been moved to previously unused regions. (E.H./trans/jl/rh)