Brussels, 22/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - Drawing on the lessons of the recent gas crisis, the energy/industry/research committee at the European Parliament, chaired by Angelika Niebler (EPP-ED, Germany) delivered its recommendations on Wednesday 21 January for the future common energy strategy of the EU and adopted by 38 votes, 5 against, with 4 abstentions, the report by Anne Laperrouze (ALDE, France) on the second strategic analysis of the energy policy, published by the European Commission in November (EUROPE 9782) and in the European Council's spring agenda. Among its main recommendations are the emergency action plan, the strengthening of inter-connections between member states and adoption of new climate goals for 2050.
Following the Russian gas conflict, the energy committee is calling on the European Commission to propose before the end of the year, a revision of the 2004 directive on gas supply security, which should include efficient and compulsory emergency actions nationally and through the Community. These are expected to include a common declaration in emergencies, the allocation of resources and infrastructure capacity to countries affected, shared coordination, activation of emergency measures in countries not affected or less affected, to increase gas volume on relevant markets. The energy committee also underlined the need for the EU to have gas storage infrastructure to allow rapid supply, as well as the implementation of a single European grid connecting all EU member states. Interconnections are also planned for gas and electricity through central and South East Europe, based on a north south axis integrating Baltic countries with the West European network. The energy committee also supports projects to diversify supply routes, such as the Nabucco gas project, the Turkey-Greece-Italy South Stream gas pipeline. It also believes that more in the long term, when political conditions allow, supplies from countries like Uzbekistan and Iran should constitute a significant source of additional supplies to the EU. It affirmed that sufficient capacity of liquid natural gas (LNG) is crucial and requires liquefaction infrastructure in producer countries, LNG terminals and re-gasification systems in boats throughout the EU. Europe is expected to remain, despite, its energy saving goals, dependent in the medium term on third countries for its fossil fuel supplies (dependency on imports is expected to be go from 50% to 70% by 2030), the energy committee supports negotiations of a new partnership and cooperation agreements with Russia, which provides the EU with 42% of its gas and 30% of its crude oil.
The energy committee points out that the European Council will adopt new more ambitious goals for fighting climate change up to 2050: reduce from 60% to 80% greenhouse gas emissions (as opposed to 20-30% up to 2020), improve energy efficiency by 35% (as opposed to 20% up to 2020) and to make renewables into 60% of the EU's primary energy cluster (as opposed to 20% up to 2020).
Energy savings, it believes, is the best and cheapest way to improve energy security. The energy committee is urging the European Commission and member states to immediately adopt a legally binding objective of at least 20% energy efficiency by 2020. The two other objectives for 2020 - 20% reduction of emissions and 20% increase in renewables, as already in the legislative energy/climate package examined in 1st reading at the end of 2008.
The committee believed that it was important for nuclear energy to continue in the EU energy cluster and called on the Commission to elaborate a specific road map for nuclear investment. It highlights the need for nuclear energy to be used at the highest level of safety technologically possible and adds that EU neighbouring countries must also respect European standard in this area when they plan to build or modernise nuclear plants. The committee says that the Commission and Councils should update common models and procedures with the International Atomic Energy Agency to prevent the peaceful use of this energy being used in nuclear weapon proliferation. (E.H./trans/tfl)