A4-0168/97

Resolution on the communication from the Commission on Energy for the Future: Renewable Sources of Energy - Green Paper for a Community Strategy (COM(96)0576 - C4-0623/96)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission (COM(96)0576 - C4- 0623/96),

- having regard to the Rio de Janeiro Climate Convention of 1992,

- having regard to the Madrid Declaration and its annex, 'An Action Plan for Renewable Energy Sources in Europe', adopted at the Madrid Conference on 18 March 1994, and the Milan Protocol adopted at the Milan Conference on 19 June 1996,

- having regard to its opinion of 28 May 1993 on the proposal for a Council Decision on the promotion of renewable energies in the Community (ALTENER programme) ((OJ C 176, 28.6.1993, p. 216.)),

- having regard to its resolutions of 4 July 1996 on a Community action plan for renewable energy sources ((OJ C 211, 22.7.1996, p. 27.)) and of 14 November 1996 on the Commission White Paper on an Energy Policy for the European Union ((OJ C 362, 2.12.1996, p. 279.)),

- having regard to the Council Decision of 3 March 1997 to reduce CO2 emissions in the EU by the year 2010 by 15% in relation to 1990,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy and the opinions of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (A4-0168/97),

A. whereas if fossil fuels are used to meet the rapid increase in world demand for energy this will lead to a growing threat to the climate; whereas nuclear energy is not free of risks either and poses the problem of disposal,

B. whereas gradual liberalization of the internal market in the energy sector must not entail disadvantages for renewable energy sources, as is recognized in the Directive on the internal market in electricity, which allows Member States to safeguard and give priority to generation using renewable energy sources,

C. whereas renewable sources of energy can play a major role in combating the man-made greenhouse effect, because they do not pollute the biosphere with greenhouse gases and they are virtually inexhaustible,

D. whereas the potential for the use of renewable sources of energy has not been even remotely exhausted, either worldwide or in the European Union - where there is a technical potential for over 50% of current energy requirements - and whereas the share of renewable sources in EU energy consumption has scarcely risen since 1990,

E. whereas renewable sources of energy are found within the Union and can therefore make a significant contribution to the security of supplies and have a positive impact on the balance of trade, if their potential is fully realized,

F. whereas there are major differences between the Member States in the use of renewable sources of energy, caused partly by differences in geography and climate but also to a large extent by differences in national energy policies,

G. whereas the promotion of renewable sources of energy can create jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises in particular; whereas, because of decentralized usage and production facilities, a significant impact is likely on employment in rural regions, which would lead to a reduced dependence on external sources of energy,

H. whereas there is a continuing obstacle to renewable sources of energy in the EU not least because of the absence of harmonized rules throughout Europe, in particular in respect of taxation, environmental protection and technical standards,

I. whereas there is a particular need for the internalization of estimated external costs for different sources of energy,

J. whereas although the obligation to obtain a licence in the EU's internal market for electricity increases the potential for making better use of renewable energies, accompanying rules are needed on appropriate electricity supply remuneration and obligations,

K. whereas waste which cannot be used in any other way can be used as a recycling fuel and whereas it should be included in the promotion concept for renewable sources of energy,

L. whereas the EU urgently needs a strategy agreed with the Member States on promoting renewable sources of energy and a significant increase in its share in energy consumption,

M. whereas the EURATOM Treaty has proved an efficient way of promoting nuclear power over the past four decades; whereas a similar success is needed with renewable sources of energy,

1. Considers the Commission Green Paper to be a basis for developing an overall EU strategy to promote renewable sources of energy, and calls on the Commission to submit, in the forthcoming White Paper, specific measures and related appropriations, including a timetable for implementing such measures to facilitate the large-scale use of renewable sources of energy;

2. Calls, in particular, for the inclusion of the following points in the White Paper and in its Action Plan:

(a) making it an objective to gear the policy of the EU and its Member States towards increasing the share of renewable energy sources with the aim of replacing at least 15% of conventional primary energy consumption in the Union by the year 2010;

(b) setting objectives for increasing the share of renewable energy sources for each Member State, broken down by sectors of renewable energy sources, on the basis of the Member State's additional potential and economic efficiency; developing the principles of a concept jointly with the Member States concerning which renewable energy sources to be used when and where in which Member State in order to facilitate cross-border regional planning and cooperation;

(c) the concept of a Community energy-related tax model spelling out details of the principle of the internalization of external costs which has already been set out in the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment, with specific provision and/or timetables to avoid unacceptable burdens for energy-intensive companies; renewable energy sources would be tax-free;

(d) monitoring the internal market for electricity to ensure that producers of renewable energies are not discriminated against in the question of access to the grid, linked with a concept for preventing discrimination and, if necessary, counteracting it in the short term;

(e) the principles of a model for a Community-wide supply scheme obliging electricity supply companies operating grids to take electricity from renewable energy sources; the indemnification provision must be adequate and differentiated for the market launch of renewable energy sources and it should take account of the different energy policy provisions in the Member States and the phased opening of markets for electricity;

(f) further, that those principles should include that of a minimum payment by the utilities for the electricity supplied from renewable energies, which would at least cover all of the current costs of the producers, as already exists in some Member States, and also that utilities should undertake a quantitative commitment on the take-up of electricity from renewables;

(g) drafting initiatives to secure voluntary undertakings by Member States on the use of a specific proportion of renewable energy sources in energy-production by supply companies and industry; a system of 'negotiable points' to be drawn up by the Commission could form a component of such a regulation;

(h) the principles of a plan to establish a European fund for renewable energy sources to finance research, development and, above all, market introduction, which could be funded from a small proportion of, or surcharge on, the mineral oil tax harmonized Europe-wide and the price of electricity;

(i) a strategy for a Community programme (for example a one million roofs programme which would assume a significant proportion of the costs of private photovoltaic systems on roofs and walls of buildings, together with a 15 000 megawatt wind programme (offshore and in the mountains) and a 1 000 megawatt biomass programme and a list of key projects to be defined which could receive grants of up to 50%) to promote renewable energies, and which would be transposed through appropriate measures in the Member States;

(j) a concept for a common buildings directive taking into account use of solar energy for heating and electricity and a proposal for the harmonization of provisions on heat protection, as well as proposals as to how domestic solar installations might be financed as part of house mortgages,

(k) the role of wood as a renewable energy source in the form both of fuelwood and of woodchips, bearing in mind that when wood is burned, only the quantity of carbon dioxide which was bound to the wood while it was growing is released into the atmosphere, and that a new tree is grown in place of a tree which has been felled, which in turn binds carbon dioxide from the air, thereby promoting sustainable forestry;

(l) a detailed inventory of measures which should contain the fiscal measures, programmes for promoting investments and a specific plan for an information, awareness and advertising campaign on the value of, and potential for, renewable sources of energy;

(m) a plan for greater use of the Structural Funds for renewable energy sources;

(n) a strategy for increased utilization of agricultural and forestry biomass as part of Community energy policy and the common agricultural policy,

(o) a framework for promoting the use of hydroelectric power where such use is feasible and rational;

(p) an export strategy for technologies for renewable energy sources, including a substantial increase in support for the European Renewable Energy Export Council (EREEC), for exports of technologies for renewable sources of energy and greater integration of support for such sources in foreign energy policy, with particular regard to Eastern Europe, the CIS, the countries of the Mediterranean region, Latin America and the developing countries (e.g. proposals for better utilization of the PHARE, TACIS and MEDA programmes, not least with regard to the future of SYNERGIE and ALURE);

(q) establishing, on an institutional basis, a 'renewable energy' coordination unit in the Commission to coordinate the activities of the individual services and with a view to cooperation between the Member States on monitoring the impact of energy policy decisions at all levels with regard to the use of renewable energy sources; the coordination unit should submit an annual report to the Council and Parliament;

(r) a decision to make better use of renewable energy sources in building projects of the Community bodies, including the current projects of the European Parliament, leading to a voluntary undertaking on the part of those bodies;

(s) a concept to ensure that necessary measures such as political declarations of intent, national and regional programmes and activities, working parties and project groups are implemented in the Member States;

(t) compiling standard EU-wide statistics on actual primary and secondary energy production and trends in energy consumption in different sectors of the economy;

3. Reaffirms its belief in the need to increase Community budgetary appropriations in support of renewable energy sources to the level of the appropriations currently used for nuclear research, i.e. at least ECU 225 m per annum, for research and development activities, in particular technological demonstration and dissemination projects;

4. Believes, for energy policy considerations, that an energy framework programme is a sensible idea and expects that the proposal for such a programme will include a separate budget line for renewable sources of energy;

5. Calls on the Commission to conduct an audit and to submit a general overview of all expenditure on renewable energy sources under existing funds and programmes, and to identify existing obstacles;

6. Believes that it is essential to adopt, as soon as possible, a strengthened ALTENER II Programme; special attention should be paid to operations in support of the transitional phase between demonstration and marketing; measures in respect of standardization are needed to reduce the cost of renewable energy sources; attention should be paid in this respect to the interests of small and medium-sized undertakings; the level of funding should be based on the objectives defined by the Council on 3 March 1997 for reducing CO2 emissions by the year 2010 by 15%, compared with 1990;

7. Proposes the establishment, for a limited number of years, of a European Solar Systems Contact Point with easy access, possibly over the Internet or through small offices in each country, for the provision of information to all interested individuals, run by a service company, giving advice on available systems with independent quality assessments, installation, and on financing of all kinds;

8. Calls on the Commission, in respect of tenders concerned with projects involving renewable energy sources, to simplify access and terms of payment so that undertakings have a fair chance of participating;

9. Calls on the Commission to instruct CEDEFOP to draw up and develop new vocational profiles in the sectors of production and utilization, and to speed up recognition of diplomas in the sector of renewable energy sources;

10. Calls on the Commission to exert pressure on the Member States to ensure that know-how on technology concerned with renewable energy sources is integrated in appropriate courses of study and (further) training;

11. Calls on the Commission to look into the possibility of coordinating policies and initiatives in the sphere of energy saving and energy efficiency in order to develop potential existing synergies and avoid duplication of effort wherever possible;

12. Calls on the Council, in the context of the forthcoming revision of the EU Treaty, to include an energy chapter in the Treaty or, alternatively, to prepare an intergovernmental conference on the conclusion of a treaty on renewable energy (EURENEW), similar to the EURATOM Treaty but at the same time ensuring codecision powers for the European Parliament, to be concerned principally with promoting technology, technological development and investment activities, coordinating the policies of the Member States and disseminating know-how and other information;

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