As I already had the opportunity to say last March, I am in favour of a voluntarist policy on energy. We have gone beyond the stage of the declarations of intent which we heard throughout the last decade, now it is time for the words to be applied in practice. It is only on this condition that the European Union will work in this direction. It must give impetus to a movement in favour of the rationalisation of European energy policy. To this end, two strategies were worked out in two complementary multiannual programmes within the framework programme of actions in the energy sector: SAVE II (promoting more efficient use of energy) and Altener II (promoting sources of renewable energy). The time has now come to renew these two pre-existing programmes. The European Parliament must take advantage of the codecision power conferred on it by the Treaty of Amsterdam in order to approve them. With regard to SAVE II, the Council has accepted a number of the amendments proposed by the European Parliament at the first reading. In addition, a number of amendments have taken into account the recent resolutions of the Council and the positions defended at the time of the Kyoto Conference. However, the Parliament wished to re-present some amendments which were discussed in committee, particularly the important amendment on the degree of improvement in energy efficiency. In fact, considering that the energy efficiency of final consumption has improved until now by approximately 1% per year, the European Commission advocates a reduction of a further percentage point in the energy efficiency of the final point of demand. Even the rapporteur wanted to set a more ambitious objective of more than 1.5%. I support this amendment even if I allow that it is necessary in some way or other to measure its potentially negative impact on the ability of firms to compete, especially small and medium-sized firms. In order to reach this objective, it goes without saying that legislative measures must be adopted even if they represent just one instrument among many. I am thinking particularly of economic sanctions. With regard to Altener II, everyone acknowledges the importance of renewable energy sources in reducing pollution and conserving natural resources. We also know of the problems such energies have in gaining ground on the market and the reasons for this state of affairs: traditional energy sources are available at a relatively low, stable price and there is a shortage of measures intended to promote renewable energy sources. This is why I approve the amendments laid down by Mr Langen demanding a more active role for the Commission in encouraging a coordinated promotion strategy within Member States and in developing the potential of Europe in the exporting of technologies related to renewable energy. In the same vein, I feel it is essential to adopt the charter on renewable energy as soon as possible. The vote on these two reports constitutes a pledge to the citizens of Europe of the will of the European Union to protect the environment while reducing our dependence on energy. – Recommendation for second reading of the Report by Mrs Ahern (A5-15/99)

Political group: PSE