INTERIM RESOLUTION(1)

on the use of renewable energy sources in the ACP countries

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Abuja (Nigeria) from 20 to 23 March 2000,

- having regard to Title VII - energy development - of the Lomé IV Convention, where the European Community and the ACP States recognise the mutual benefits of cooperation in energy and identify increased use of alternative, new and renewable energy sources as one of the main objectives of energy development,

- having regard to the new Partnership Agreement between the ACP States and the European Community and its Member States, and especially to Article 32 (2) thereof, where both sides agree on cooperation aimed at supporting specific measures and schemes addressing sustainable management issues, such as renewable energy sources, notably different forms of solar energy and energy efficiency,

- having regard to Article 57 of the new Partnership Agreement, where the responsibilities are established for defining and adopting the objectives and priorities on which the Indicative Programmes are based,

- having regard to its resolution on climate change and small island developing states in the context of the ACP-EU cooperation framework(2),

- having regard to the interim resolution of the Working Group on the use of renewable energy sources in ACP countries,

A. whereas primary energy demand in ACP and other developing countries will increase from 2500 Mtoe in 1990 to approx. 7300 Mtoe in 2020, in particular due to rapid population growth (2,6 % annually in Africa from 1990 to 2010),

B. whereas two thirds of the population in Africa live in rural areas without access to modern energy services, fuels and the electricity grid,

C. whereas in 1990 only 8 % of rural people and 38 % of urban dwellers in sub-Saharan Africa had electricity connections,

D. whereas small island ACP States and enclaves or territories with an inadequate infrastructure within ACP States are heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels for the majority of their rapidly growing energy needs for transport and electricity production, and on inefficient biomass for their non-commercial energy consumption,

E. whereas petroleum is imported in the small island ACP States at some of the highest prices in the world, in the Pacific region for example at 200-300 % of international levels,

F. whereas energy and energy services have not been sufficiently integrated so far as a horizontal key element in programmes aimed at reducing poverty,

G. whereas sub-Saharan Africa has enormous diverse renewable energy resources, which remain largely unexploited so far, whereas many ACP small island states have abundant resources of alternative renewable energies, such as wind and solar,

H. whereas modern renewable energy technologies can be price-efficient and be competitive with conventional energy sources in a favourable legal and regulatory environment,

I. whereas the largest potentials for meeting the energy needs of the poor in rural areas with the least possible environmental impact are in new renewable energy technologies,

J. whereas the traditional use of biomass (fuelwood) for cooking in rural areas of ACP States is often inefficient, and leads to health problems and environmental damage,

K. whereas energy has in general not been identified as a priority in Indicative Programmes of ACP States and whereas energy projects have so far played only a marginal role in the implementation of the 7th and 8th European Development Funds (EDF) in spite of the emphasis put on energy cooperation in the Lomé IV Convention,

L. whereas new National Indicative Programmes will be elaborated under the new Partnership Agreement,

M. whereas the EU has fixed the objective of meeting at least 12 % of its energy requirements from renewable energy sources, but has still to present a detailed plan on how this can be achieved;

1. Emphasises that ACP States face an extraordinary economic and political challenge to meet the growing demand for energy, and underlines that enormous investment in energy infrastructure and services will be needed;

2. Emphasises that energy must be considered as a cross-cutting issue with a high development potential, especially in view of poverty reduction, as availability of energy carriers and services is imperative for the satisfaction of basic needs, such as access to food, drinking water, domestic lighting and cooking, health services and education;

3. Calls on the ACP States and the Commission to perceive energy as an important instrument for development and calls therefore for the elaboration of a coherent and sound energy strategy in ACP States, based on the concept of sustainable provision of energy services, aimed at integrating social and economic needs of users while minimising the environmental impact of energy use;

4. Calls on the Commission and the Member States of the EU to integrate the aspect of sustainable energy provision in all development and cooperation programmes and projects;

5. Underlines that the satisfaction of energy needs is especially urgent in rural areas remote from the grid, and points out that the lack of economic and social prospects in rural areas is related to the lack of an adequate energy supply, resulting in rapidly growing urbanisation;

6. Emphasises that the small scale and modular nature of new and emerging renewable energy technologies, such as solar PV systems, small-scale off-grid wind turbines, mini- or micro-hydro systems or modern biomass-based generators, is often more appropriate to the level and structure of demand than conventional alternatives, in particular in rural areas;

7. Notes that increased use of renewable energy sources would reduce dependence on expensive imports of fossil fuels and help to improve balances of payments; stresses that the implementation of systems of new and renewable energy technologies can have a significant positive impact on job creation and employment;

8. Emphasises the decisive role of science and technology and the need for building indigenous capacity for development and maintenance of modern energy technologies in ACP States;

9. Calls on the ACP States to examine the scope for overcoming existing obstacles to the use of renewable energy sources, such as the lack of an adequate legal, fiscal or regulatory framework, and the reasons for the lack of private foreign investment;

10. Calls on the Commission to examine the scope for creating new, appropriate finance mechanisms for renewable energy projects, in order to overcome the lack of financial resources for credit financing of the high up-front costs of renewable energy technologies;

11. Calls on the Commission and the ACP States to prepare a campaign for adequate information on the use of renewable energy sources in ACP States;

12. Calls on the Commission and the ACP countries to strengthen existing systems for mutual learning and capacity building with special emphasis on technology transfer, qualification schemes and the development of human resources;

13. Calls on the ACP States to define energy, including the promotion of the use of renewable energy sources, where appropriate, as a priority in the new Indicative Programmes, taking into account the scope for regional cooperation;

14. Invites its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the Commission.

(1) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 23 March 2000 in Abuja (Nigeria).

(2) OJ C 271, 24.9.1999, pp. 30-35.