Mr President, forgive me for arriving a little late but in fact the programme moved on a little faster than anticipated. I would like to thank Mrs Matikainen-Kallström for standing in. She has already said something about the Altener and Save programmes. We now find ourselves in the final stages of a conciliation process on measures in the energy sector for the period 1998-2002, with Altener relating to the important sector of renewable energies. This is intended to create the necessary preconditions for implementing an action plan in this sector and, in particular, for offering additional incentives to invest private or public money in the production and usage of renewable energies. Since the current programme finished at the end of last year and the Council did not accept the amendments adopted by Parliament, the conciliation procedure had to come into play. It is quite amazing as to how doggedly the Member States in the Council tried to fight this programme for alternative energies and an appropriate level of funding. However I have to say the Finnish President-in-Office of the Council had relatively little power to act as long as the Member States blocked the necessary increase in this funding. The original financial package of EUR 81.1 million, as proposed by the Commission, was reduced by the Council to EUR 74 million, unilaterally and without explanation. It was therefore only logical that Parliament should demand the reinstatement of the original financial package. In addition to the funding for the programme, there were a few other points that the Council and Parliament were in dispute over. It was possible, in the course of the conciliation procedure, to reach agreement with the Council on those of our essential demands, one being to examine the possibility of opening the Altener programme to the associated Mediterranean countries when this programme next undergoes revision. We were assured that the Council will publish a statement on this in the Official Journal. As far as the financial framework is concerned, had the Council significantly reduced its original package it would have come close to jeopardising the continued existence of the programme. The parliamentary delegation in the Conciliation Committee was concerned to secure the continued existence of the contents of a worthwhile programme. Hence we agreed to the compromise in the end, even though we were not completely satisfied with it. We accepted that the funding should be raised to EUR 77 million. That is an acceptable, albeit not entirely satisfactory outcome. We opted for this compromise so as not to jeopardise the continued existence of this programme. However it would appear that unless there are increased efforts on the part of the Member States, it will not be possible to achieve the goal of producing 15% of the overall primary energy demand from renewable energy sources by the year 2010. Accordingly, we have secured the continuation of an EU programme that is important in terms of environmental and economic policy and that is instrumental in limiting CO2 emissions, increasing the proportion of renewable energies in the overall energy balance, reducing dependence on energy imports, providing security of supply and ensuring cohesion of local and regional development. Of course, the programme alone is not enough; it must be complemented by strenuous efforts on the part of the Member States. On 9 December last year, the Conciliation Committee adopted the definitive text for the programme, thereby paving the way for the future promotion of studies and projects within the alternative energies sector aimed at tapping into the potential of renewable energies. In addition, the continued existence of the ALTENER programme will guarantee the promotion and implementation of pilot projects for creating and extending infrastructure, for transfer of expertise and for targeted activities intended to relieve market penetration of renewable energies. This will be of particular relevance to the wind energy and geothermal sectors, to smaller-scale hydroelectric powerstations, to the passive and active use of solar energy in buildings and to the use of biomass. These sectors show us how necessary and important it is to continue to provide a rational support framework at European level in the alternative energy sources sector. I would especially like to thank the Commission and the competent Commissioner, Mrs de Palacio, for supporting Parliament’s position. The European Parliament has succeeded in reaching a reasonable compromise and amending the Council’s common position. I would be grateful if my fellow MEPs would endorse the Conciliation Committee’s end result.

Political group: PPE-DE