Parliament wants clear targets for future EU energy policy

British Conservative MEP Giles Chichester hit out at Labour rapporteur Eluned Morgan. "The Labour MEPs have voted against renewable and nuclear energy. This was a veritable double whammy against sustainability and security of supply. My sympathies go to Tony Blair who once again has been let down by his representatives in Europe," Chichester said.

Green MEP Claude Turmes  was more positive: "The EP has today sent a strong message that climate change must be the bottom line for EU energy policy, and that energy efficiency and renewables should get prime place in the forthcoming EU energy strategy review."

EREC, the European Renewable Energy Council, welcomed the EP targets on the use of renewables. However, it warned that an upcoming renewable energy road map to be proposed by the Commission in January will not live up to the Parliament's ambitions.

According to a draft version of the road map seen by EREC, the Commission would propose a new binding target for renewable energies at 20% of the EU's overall energy consumption by 2020, a level significantly higher than the current target, set at 12% for 2010.

But industry observers and Brussels diplomats say this will not go through, since only Germany and Denmark have so far supported it.

As a trade-off to EU member states, the Commission is said to propose that sector-specific targets for transport and electricity be abandoned altogether. As a result, EREC fears all targets will be dropped in favour of "vague measures and ambiguous commitments". "It is crucial to keep the sectoral targets if Europe’s prime position is to be maintained," EREC said. "Anything else would be a disaster for RES investors and send a negative signal to markets across the world." 

"The draft road map, as it stands, would undermine existing law, create a legislative vacuum for many years to come and fire up widespread investor uncertainty," EREC further warned.