Mr President, the Commission’s proposal for an Action Plan to increase energy efficiency is welcome. As the rapporteur, I can, at the same time, see that the plan has many shortcomings in its original form. I hope that the proposals in Parliament’s resolution will be valuable in the way they complement the plan and that, as the Commissioner responsible, Mrs de Palacio will make our proposals her own. In the course of discussing the Action Plan, it has become very clear how neglected energy saving is as a policy area and in society generally. Many people are doubtless aware that we have to change the direction of energy policy and reduce our considerable dependency on fossil fuels. If, however, you ask them how we are to do this, they do not as a rule come up with many answers. Some people propose renewable energy sources. Extremely few would state that it is especially through more efficient energy use that the change should be brought about. The reason, of course, is the lack of knowledge about what can be done. What is more, there are not enough economic incentives to facilitate investment in more efficient energy use. One major problem is that energy savings are invisible. When we invest in a wind park, it is obvious to everyone what the money has been used for. If we put a corresponding amount of money into the rational use of energy, the investment is seen as being significantly more diffuse. I therefore hope that the proposal to turn all the EU’s institutions, that is to say the buildings we work in, into symbols of the rational use of energy will be adopted. We can, of course, begin with this Parliament. There is very great potential within the EU for saving energy and using it in rational ways. In my view, the Commission is too cautious in its assessments. At least 30% of the energy used today could be saved through rational behaviour. If, moreover, the environmental costs of energy production and consumption were built into prices, the potential would be even greater. The report’s demands that environmental costs should be internalised and that the problem should be overcome by means of different types of tax, especially a kilometre/tonne charge on heavy vehicles and a tax on bunker fuels, must be seen against this background. In the same way, it is important to use the tax system to promote energy-efficient vehicles and buildings, or equipment which contributes to the more rational use of energy. There is a lot to be done in this area to increase the incentives for the rational use of energy. A general overhaul of tax policy is needed in order to promote what is good and positive from an environmental point of view rather than what is anything but good and positive. That is additionally important in the current situation in which electricity markets are being deregulated. Deregulation is excellent, but it has led to such low prices that, for example, problems involving counter-pressure have arisen. The report demands a series of new directives aimed at stimulating energy efficiency in different areas: the building sector, combined power and heating, electronic equipment of different kinds and the transport sector. Another important proposal is that of linking the intelligent use of energy to what is being called the Lisbon process. The Lisbon Summit set the goal of making the EU into the world’s most competitive and productive economy. Such a programme would be significantly impaired if the environmental aspects were not covered. These could be covered by a demand for energy efficiency within the European Union to increase annually by, for example, 2.5%. Even if no account were taken of the environmental aspects, there is a lot to be said for putting energy efficiency on the agenda set by the Lisbon process. The more efficient use of natural and energy resources would be an excellent contribution to the European Union’s competitiveness and productivity. Nor must we forget countries in the vicinity of the EU. If these aspects are important to ourselves, it is also important that they should be emphasised in the negotiations with the candidate countries in the context of the enlargement process. That also applies, of course, in connection with the aid we supply. In the course of the work done on the report, it has become clear to me how important it is that systematic, long-term work should be done on these issues. Together with three other MEPs – Mrs McNally, Mr Turmes and Mrs van der Laan – I have therefore prepared an initiative called Energy Intelligent Europe, which has already been supported by many representatives of different political groups and Member States. The intention is, in various ways, to stimulate the debate about the rational use of energy and to propose initiatives that should be taken by the EU and the Member States in order to make our energy use more intelligent. There is therefore every good reason to return to these issues.

Political group: PPE-DE