# CE2009066EN.01003501.xml

| 20.3.2009 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 66/35 |
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20.3.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 66/35

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Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund

P6_TA(2008)0096

P6_TA(2008)0096

European Parliament resolution of 13 March 2008 on the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (2007/2188(INI))

(2009/C 66 E/06)

The European Parliament,

| — | having regard to the Commission Communication entitled Mobilising public and private finance towards global access to climate-friendly, affordable and secure energy services: The Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (COM(2006)0583), |
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having regard to the Commission Communication entitled Mobilising public and private finance towards global access to climate-friendly, affordable and secure energy services: The Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (COM(2006)0583),

| — | having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 8 and 9 March 2007, |
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having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 8 and 9 March 2007,

| — | having regard to its resolution of 25 September 2007 on the Road Map for renewable energy in Europe (1), |
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having regard to its resolution of 25 September 2007 on the Road Map for renewable energy in Europe (1),

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| — | having regard to its resolution of 1 June 2006 on energy efficiency or doing more with less — Green Paper (2), |
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having regard to its resolution of 1 June 2006 on energy efficiency or doing more with less — Green Paper (2),

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| — | having regard to its resolution of 14 December 2006 on a strategy for biomass and biofuels (3), |
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having regard to its resolution of 14 December 2006 on a strategy for biomass and biofuels (3),

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| — | having regard its resolution of 29 September 2005 on the share of renewable energy in the EU and proposals for concrete actions (4), |
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having regard its resolution of 29 September 2005 on the share of renewable energy in the EU and proposals for concrete actions (4),

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| — | having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure, |
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having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

| — | having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the opinions of the Committee on Development and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A6-0006/2008), |
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having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the opinions of the Committee on Development and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A6-0006/2008),

| A. | whereas, in the context of limiting the increase in average world temperatures to a maximum of 2 °C, renewable energies and energy efficiency must be boosted so that, after peaking in 2015, global emissions will diminish, |
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A.

whereas, in the context of limiting the increase in average world temperatures to a maximum of 2 °C, renewable energies and energy efficiency must be boosted so that, after peaking in 2015, global emissions will diminish,

| B. | whereas the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (October 2006) and reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicate that the poorest countries and people will suffer earliest and most from the effects of climate change, |
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B.

whereas the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (October 2006) and reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicate that the poorest countries and people will suffer earliest and most from the effects of climate change,

| C. | whereas renewable sources of energy and energy savings are key elements in sustainable access to energy services, contributing to:






  a) | lower CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, |
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C.

whereas renewable sources of energy and energy savings are key elements in sustainable access to energy services, contributing to:

a)

lower CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions,

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| b) | increased energy supply independence, |
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b)

increased energy supply independence,

| c) | the development of new innovative technologies, |
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c)

the development of new innovative technologies,

| d) | employment and regional development opportunities, |
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d)

employment and regional development opportunities,

| e) | reductions in deficits in the balance of payments, |
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e)

reductions in deficits in the balance of payments,

| f) | business opportunities for SMEs, |
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f)

business opportunities for SMEs,

| g) | cost savings, |
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g)

cost savings,

| D. | whereas global leaders agreed at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development to halve the number of people currently deprived of basic energy services, which currently stands at 1,6 billion; whereas, if current trends persist, this target will never be reached, |
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D.

whereas global leaders agreed at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development to halve the number of people currently deprived of basic energy services, which currently stands at 1,6 billion; whereas, if current trends persist, this target will never be reached,

| E. | whereas sustainable solutions to the energy challenges facing developing countries should be achieved through increased use of renewable energy sources, greater improvements in energy efficiency and energy savings, |
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E.

whereas sustainable solutions to the energy challenges facing developing countries should be achieved through increased use of renewable energy sources, greater improvements in energy efficiency and energy savings,

| F. | whereas transparency and accountability towards public and private investors will be of key importance in assessing and, possibly, further increasing the support offered by the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund, and whereas scrutiny will be intense, especially in the first years of implementation of this fund, |
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F.

whereas transparency and accountability towards public and private investors will be of key importance in assessing and, possibly, further increasing the support offered by the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund, and whereas scrutiny will be intense, especially in the first years of implementation of this fund,

| 1. | Welcomes the Commission's proposal for a Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (Geeref); |
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1.

Welcomes the Commission's proposal for a Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (Geeref);

| 2. | Believes that sustainable development, in particular in developing countries and emerging economies, with low greenhouse gas emissions, clean air and a sustainable energy supply, can only be achieved through ensuring the deployment of renewable technologies tapping into local energy resources and improving access to energy by favouring investment in remote and decentralised supply; |
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2.

Believes that sustainable development, in particular in developing countries and emerging economies, with low greenhouse gas emissions, clean air and a sustainable energy supply, can only be achieved through ensuring the deployment of renewable technologies tapping into local energy resources and improving access to energy by favouring investment in remote and decentralised supply;

| 3. | Believes that key objectives of the fund should be the promotion of energy efficiency, energy saving and renewable energies, the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases and of other risks, the improvement of access to energy services in the poorest countries and the diversification of energy sources in the developing world; |
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3.

Believes that key objectives of the fund should be the promotion of energy efficiency, energy saving and renewable energies, the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases and of other risks, the improvement of access to energy services in the poorest countries and the diversification of energy sources in the developing world;

| 4. | Particularly welcomes the fund's focus on leveraging private investment by providing risk capital, since this will be critical for the successful development of sustainable energy projects in the developing world in the long term; |
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4.

Particularly welcomes the fund's focus on leveraging private investment by providing risk capital, since this will be critical for the successful development of sustainable energy projects in the developing world in the long term;

| 5. | Calls on the Commission to ensure that all support for projects and choice of technology is conditional on the fulfilment of comprehensive sustainability criteria and on a contribution being made to sustainable development as well as on geographical characteristics and available regional resources; |
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5.

Calls on the Commission to ensure that all support for projects and choice of technology is conditional on the fulfilment of comprehensive sustainability criteria and on a contribution being made to sustainable development as well as on geographical characteristics and available regional resources;

| 6. | Urges the Commission to focus, when implementing the fund, on small-scale projects in which it is the most difficult to attract private sector investment; believes that the Commission should keep under regular review its upper limit on investments of 10 million euro for individual projects, while earmarking at least one third of the funds available for small-scale projects requiring less than 1 million euro; |
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6.

Urges the Commission to focus, when implementing the fund, on small-scale projects in which it is the most difficult to attract private sector investment; believes that the Commission should keep under regular review its upper limit on investments of 10 million euro for individual projects, while earmarking at least one third of the funds available for small-scale projects requiring less than 1 million euro;

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| 7. | Calls on the Commission to ensure that support for all biomass projects, including projects involving water and sewerage treatment, in developing countries is subject to the fulfilment of rigorous sustainability criteria that ensure that only the most sustainable technologies are supported, taking into account the full lifecycle effects of biomass on greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, rural management, socio-economic conditions and biodiversity, including the preservation of natural forests and securing food supply to all by improving best local agricultural practices; |
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7.

Calls on the Commission to ensure that support for all biomass projects, including projects involving water and sewerage treatment, in developing countries is subject to the fulfilment of rigorous sustainability criteria that ensure that only the most sustainable technologies are supported, taking into account the full lifecycle effects of biomass on greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, rural management, socio-economic conditions and biodiversity, including the preservation of natural forests and securing food supply to all by improving best local agricultural practices;

| 8. | Urges the Commission to ensure that the Geeref supports photovoltaic projects and calls on it to support the development of intelligent grid technologies; encourages in particular investment suitable to the rural poor, such as electrification through renewable energy (including hydro, solar and wind power and biomass), solar heaters, solar pasteurisers, solar cookers, wind pumps and improved cooking stoves, as well as support to micro-credit schemes to enhance local participation in energy projects; |
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8.

Urges the Commission to ensure that the Geeref supports photovoltaic projects and calls on it to support the development of intelligent grid technologies; encourages in particular investment suitable to the rural poor, such as electrification through renewable energy (including hydro, solar and wind power and biomass), solar heaters, solar pasteurisers, solar cookers, wind pumps and improved cooking stoves, as well as support to micro-credit schemes to enhance local participation in energy projects;

| 9. | Insists that the Geeref must not support large projects requiring more than 1 million euro for conventional energy sources and for the co-firing of biomass in existing or new coal power stations, the small scale use of fossil fuels (for example in diesel generators) or large agrofuel production; urges the Commission to ensure that investments from the sub-funds supported by the Geeref do not support these types of technology; calls, therefore, on the Commission to ensure that relevant management contracts and the criteria for project selection exclude the selection of these projects; |
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9.

Insists that the Geeref must not support large projects requiring more than 1 million euro for conventional energy sources and for the co-firing of biomass in existing or new coal power stations, the small scale use of fossil fuels (for example in diesel generators) or large agrofuel production; urges the Commission to ensure that investments from the sub-funds supported by the Geeref do not support these types of technology; calls, therefore, on the Commission to ensure that relevant management contracts and the criteria for project selection exclude the selection of these projects;

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| 10. | Believes that, where possible, support should be focussed on projects which combine renewable energy technologies with improved energy efficiency, for example projects for improving the building stock, lighting and the refrigeration chain; |
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10.

Believes that, where possible, support should be focussed on projects which combine renewable energy technologies with improved energy efficiency, for example projects for improving the building stock, lighting and the refrigeration chain;

| 11. | Calls for full coordination between the Geeref and future work under the platform for International Cooperation on Energy Efficiency proposed by the Commission, so as to improve collaboration on research and development and benchmarking; |
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11.

Calls for full coordination between the Geeref and future work under the platform for International Cooperation on Energy Efficiency proposed by the Commission, so as to improve collaboration on research and development and benchmarking;

| 12. | Urges the Commission to ensure that the fund supports the development of local markets, manufacturing and capacity in the developing world, for example by supporting local SMEs so that they can take on responsibility for merchandising new technologies in a particular region; |
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12.

Urges the Commission to ensure that the fund supports the development of local markets, manufacturing and capacity in the developing world, for example by supporting local SMEs so that they can take on responsibility for merchandising new technologies in a particular region;

| 13. | Believes that the fund should also be used to create opportunities, in particular, for SMEs from Member States to contribute their technical know-how to the development and use of sustainable energy technologies in developing countries; |
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13.

Believes that the fund should also be used to create opportunities, in particular, for SMEs from Member States to contribute their technical know-how to the development and use of sustainable energy technologies in developing countries;

| 14. | Calls on the Commission to ensure that the fund will be coherent with and supplement other Member State and EU development policies and energy initiatives targeted at developing countries; |
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14.

Calls on the Commission to ensure that the fund will be coherent with and supplement other Member State and EU development policies and energy initiatives targeted at developing countries;

| 15. | Calls on the Commission to ensure that the fund complements and works effectively alongside the many other international initiatives and funds that currently support sustainable energy projects in the developing world, including those led by the World Bank and regional development banks as well as those launched at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development; |
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15.

Calls on the Commission to ensure that the fund complements and works effectively alongside the many other international initiatives and funds that currently support sustainable energy projects in the developing world, including those led by the World Bank and regional development banks as well as those launched at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development;

| 16. | Calls on the Commission to ensure that the fund contributes to reducing barriers to the use of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in certain countries, in particular the least developed countries, and that it further encourages CDM projects that have real added value, have a positive sustainable development impact and fulfil the Gold Standard criteria; |
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16.

Calls on the Commission to ensure that the fund contributes to reducing barriers to the use of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in certain countries, in particular the least developed countries, and that it further encourages CDM projects that have real added value, have a positive sustainable development impact and fulfil the Gold Standard criteria;

| 17. | Invites the Commission to explore ways of enlarging the fund in the future context of a post-2012 regime under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, taking into account that sustainable energy in developing countries will be crucial to achieving the objective of this Convention; |
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17.

Invites the Commission to explore ways of enlarging the fund in the future context of a post-2012 regime under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, taking into account that sustainable energy in developing countries will be crucial to achieving the objective of this Convention;

| 18. | Regrets the fact that the suggested minimum funding target of 100 million euro — with a contribution of only 15 million euro for each of the years 2007 and 2008 — is woefully inadequate as the Geeref's contribution when the goal is to ‘boost the share of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and substantially contribute to sustainable development’, and that, as yet, only a few countries have chosen to participate financially in the fund; therefore urges the Commission to increase its contribution while at the same time encouraging Member States as well as multilateral financial institutions to join forces in order to significantly increase the size of the fund; calls for many more Members States to offer financial support; |
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18.

Regrets the fact that the suggested minimum funding target of 100 million euro — with a contribution of only 15 million euro for each of the years 2007 and 2008 — is woefully inadequate as the Geeref's contribution when the goal is to ‘boost the share of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and substantially contribute to sustainable development’, and that, as yet, only a few countries have chosen to participate financially in the fund; therefore urges the Commission to increase its contribution while at the same time encouraging Member States as well as multilateral financial institutions to join forces in order to significantly increase the size of the fund; calls for many more Members States to offer financial support;

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| 19. | Considers that a key aim in the first years of the Geeref, which is an open-ended fund, should be the development of exemplars that can inspire further contributions, increasing the flow of investments in renewable energies and energy efficiency to developing countries and transition economies and sparing far more people than the anticipated 1 to 3 million people from energy poverty; |
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19.

Considers that a key aim in the first years of the Geeref, which is an open-ended fund, should be the development of exemplars that can inspire further contributions, increasing the flow of investments in renewable energies and energy efficiency to developing countries and transition economies and sparing far more people than the anticipated 1 to 3 million people from energy poverty;

| 20. | Stresses that the Geeref must give priority to serving the specific needs of the Least Developed Countries and to interventions that have demonstrated strong linkages to poverty reduction; notes that the scope of the Geeref is to support regional subfunds for Sub-Saharan Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Island States, the countries of the European Neighbourhood (including North Africa and non-EU Eastern Europe), Latin America and Asia; calls, however, for special emphasis on serving the needs of the ACP countries; calls on the Commission to ensure that funding is not allocated to only one or two subfunds when appropriations are distributed; strongly recommends that any subfunds for China and Russia, if included in the portfolio, do not absorb all the available resources and that they should be of particular interest as pilot-projects; |
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20.

Stresses that the Geeref must give priority to serving the specific needs of the Least Developed Countries and to interventions that have demonstrated strong linkages to poverty reduction; notes that the scope of the Geeref is to support regional subfunds for Sub-Saharan Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Island States, the countries of the European Neighbourhood (including North Africa and non-EU Eastern Europe), Latin America and Asia; calls, however, for special emphasis on serving the needs of the ACP countries; calls on the Commission to ensure that funding is not allocated to only one or two subfunds when appropriations are distributed; strongly recommends that any subfunds for China and Russia, if included in the portfolio, do not absorb all the available resources and that they should be of particular interest as pilot-projects;

| 21. | Recognises however that, as currently envisaged, the Geeref may have difficulty in complying with the criteria for Official Development Assistance established by the OECD Development Assistance Committee, as investment will be steered by prospects for financial returns rather than development needs; recognises the risk that poverty reduction, mentioned as a specific objective of the Geeref, might become only a secondary priority of the fund; stresses, therefore, that, in addition to developing clear development criteria to screen projects eligible for Geeref funding, the Commission must also significantly increase grant-based development aid in order to provide sustainable energy services to the poorest; |
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21.

Recognises however that, as currently envisaged, the Geeref may have difficulty in complying with the criteria for Official Development Assistance established by the OECD Development Assistance Committee, as investment will be steered by prospects for financial returns rather than development needs; recognises the risk that poverty reduction, mentioned as a specific objective of the Geeref, might become only a secondary priority of the fund; stresses, therefore, that, in addition to developing clear development criteria to screen projects eligible for Geeref funding, the Commission must also significantly increase grant-based development aid in order to provide sustainable energy services to the poorest;

| 22. | Calls on the Commission to report regularly on progress in implementing the fund and on projects supported, and specifically to provide an annual progress report to Parliament; |
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22.

Calls on the Commission to report regularly on progress in implementing the fund and on projects supported, and specifically to provide an annual progress report to Parliament;

| 23. | Calls on the Commission to propose ways of facilitating intensive communication and the exchange of experience relating to the various projects, their specific results and their contribution to sustainable development; |
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23.

Calls on the Commission to propose ways of facilitating intensive communication and the exchange of experience relating to the various projects, their specific results and their contribution to sustainable development;

| 24. | Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission. |
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24.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.

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(1)  Texts adopted, P6_TA(2007)0406.

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(2)  OJ C 298 E, 8.12.2006, p. 273.

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(3)  OJ C 317 E, 23.12.2006, p. 890.

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(4)  OJ C 227 E, 21.9.2006, p. 599.

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