MEPs call for strong EU renewables policy

The Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee has given strong support to upcoming Commission proposals designed to increase the share of renewable energy in the EU’s future energy mix.

On 10 July, MEPs in the ITRE committee voted in support of an own-initiative report presented by Danish Socialist MEP Britta Thomsen. While the report is non-binding and not connected with any existing legislative proposal, it provides an indication of how the Parliament may position itself with respect to the Commission’s upcoming package of legislative proposals on renewables, expected in September 2007 (see our LinksDossier).

The report largely supports the Commission’s approach of providing a legislative framework to facilitate a 20% share for renewable energies by 2020, whereby member states provide national action plans (NAPs) with specific sectoral targets depending on the particular conditions of their territory. Spain, for example, may choose to place greater emphasis on the promotion of solar power than less sunny countries in the north of Europe.

In order to ensure member states fulfill their own sectoral targets, the report suggests that the NAPs be divided into stages, with close monitoring by the Commission so that further action can be taken if it becomes clear that the targets are not being met. 

With respect to the issue of renewables for heating and cooling, the Commission had initially promised to come forward with specific and binding legislation, but then decided instead to give member states more flexibility on determining specific targets (EURACTIV 24/05/07). The ITRE report calls for actual legislation, restating MEPs’ preference and signalling a potential source of dischord with the Council in future negotiations. 

In a draft version of the report, nuclear energy was mentioned as a possible non-renewable yet low CO2-intensive alternative to be considered in the overall policy framework. But reference to nuclear energy was deleted from the final report.

A binding 10% overall target for biofuels use in transport was endorsed by the Committee, as long as a sound equilibrium is maintained between food and fuel production. MEPs also called for the promotion of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. 

Fossil fuels were also mentioned in the report: MEPs support the idea of requiring a life cycle analysis and a “green certification” for fossil fuels, similar to certification requirements foreseen for biofuels.

Oliver Schaefer, policy director at the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), welcomed the report, saying that MEPs are “clearly showing the way forward”.

Parliament is scheduled to vote on the ITRE Committee report in plenary in September 2007.

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