P6_TA(2005)0361

Oil

European Parliament resolution on oil dependency

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

1. Notes with concern the recent continuous increase in the price of crude oil and its effect on the competitiveness of businesses and the general economic health of the population and the fact that it adversely affects growth levels, thus impeding the attainment of the Lisbon objectives;

2. Considers Europe's dependence on oil and oil imports to be of great concern; believes that in order to ensure energy supply, Europe should diversify energy sources and origins of supply and strengthen its strategy to promote energy conservation measures and decentralised renewable energy sources;

3. Calls for a comprehensive and coherent global strategy to promote energy saving and efficiency and the use of alternative energy sources, in view of the very high oil consumption in the US as well as increasing oil consumption in especially large emerging economies such as China and India; calls on the EU rapidly to take the initiative to hold a world summit of the larger oil consumer and producer countries;

4. Calls on the Commission to help developing countries and emerging economies by integrating sustainable energy provision in its development cooperation policy in order to reduce their dependency on imports of fossil fuels and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and calls for the EU to push for a proper balance between their energy needs and environmental concerns by promoting the transfer of new energy-saving and renewable technologies;

5. Highlights the geostrategic aspects of Europe's dependence on energy imports; calls for the dialogue with all European energy partners to be intensified, to promote security of supply, market transparency and further investment; recalls that the European Neighbourhood Policy affords an opportunity for a comprehensive agreement with several countries concerned with this issue;

6. Recognises that the most logical response to higher oil prices is to switch to using alternative energy sources, and therefore emphasises the importance of actions to reduce energy intensity by using less energy for the same economic output (noting the rate of reduction in Europe since the 1970s);

7. Strongly endorses the need for follow-up strategies and concrete measures to promote research and development, to increase use of renewable energies and to promote energy efficiency in order to achieve a less fossil-fuel dependent economy, and calls on the Commission to lead the EU in an attempt to become the least fossil-fuel dependent and most energy-efficient economy in the world by 2020;

8. Notes with concern that consumers are having to pay higher prices not only as a result of the high cost of crude oil but also because of increased rates of VAT and energy taxes levied on end products, and that these taxes vary widely throughout the EU and can distort market forces, but supports the conclusions of the Informal ECOFIN meeting in Manchester on 9- 10 September 2005 where Ministers agreed that fiscal and other policy interventions that cause distortions and prevent the necessary adjustments should be avoided;

9. Calls on the Commission to present proposals on how to use corporate social responsibility policy at EU level to channel more private investment, financed by the current windfall profits in the oil industry, into energy-saving programmes and alternative energy technologies and related R&D; believes that this should be pursued on the basis of a voluntary agreement with oil companies or, alternatively, through an EU-wide coordinated political initiative;

10. Notes that speculation on future higher prices further increases oil prices; calls on the Commission to keep the hedge funds under review and examine ways in which added transparency could contribute to more stable oil markets;

11. Recalls the importance of the existing legislation on reducing EU energy demand and notes that if the existing and forthcoming legislation is fully implemented, energy savings of at least 23 % could be achieved by 2020;

12. Calls on the Commission to propose measures in the transport sector, which accounts for 70 % of total EU oil consumption, as a matter of urgency, not only with a view to guaranteeing security of supply for petroleum products but also on environmental grounds, such as the use of more fuel-efficient engines and conversion to alternative fuel and propulsion technologies;

13. Agrees with the Commission that biofuels will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and calls on the Commission to encourage the production of raw materials for biofuels;

14. Urges the Commission and Member States to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources as well as hydrogen fuel cells;

15. Calls on the Commission therefore to:

- bring forward the European Action Plan on energy efficiency which is to follow the Green Paper (COM(2005)0265),

- increase pressure for the full and rapid implementation by Member States of the Directive on the energy performance of buildings (Directive 2002/91/EC),

- push strongly for an agreement on the Energy Services Directive during the December Energy Council,

- increase transparency and predictability of oil markets through improved collection and aggregation of information,

- press Member States to fulfil their renewable energy targets, as set in the Directive on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources (Directive 2001/77/EC),

- put forward proposals for car manufacturers to develop cleaner and less oil product-consuming vehicles,

- counter, together with the Member States, the risk of increased social exclusion and reduce the negative effects of rising oil prices on the most vulnerable social groups,

- work towards greater use of environmentally-friendly coal-based energy;

16. Regrets, however, that in its communication of 6 September 2005 on the "five-point plan to react to the surge in oil prices", the Commission completely omitted to address the transport sector;

17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

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