WRITTEN QUESTION E-4059/97 by Mirja Ryynänen (ELDR) to the Commission (14 January 1998)

Subject: Pollution sinks and organizing closed cycles

At the Kyoto Conference, efforts are being made to attain consensus on limiting world emissions of greenhouse gases. The greatest emissions of pollutants come from the burning of fossil fuels. It would be better for the whole world if energy production made increasing use of renewable resources and so-called closed cycles, in which fuels and emissions are recycled. Emissions can be fed back into the natural cycle with the aid of so-called pollution sinks, good examples of which are forests and fields producing biofuels.

1. What will the Commission do to ensure that the role of environmental sinks in world limits on emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants is taken into account?

2. What will the Commission do to ensure that a comprehensive guidance and incentive system is established, based on environmental book-keeping, for European energy production and consumption, to encourage recycling of raw materials?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (19 March 1998)

1. According to the Kyoto Protocol, adopted in December 1997, 'net changes in greenhouse gas emissions from sources and removals by sinks resulting from direct human-induced land use change and forestry activities, limited to afforestation, reforestation and deforestation since 1990, measured as verifiable changes in stocks in each commitment period' can be used to meet commitments under the Protocol. The Commission will support the work of the subsidiary bodies to the Climate Convention by providing the data and information required to calculate and verify such changes.

The inclusion of additional sinks such as agricultural soils and other land use change and forestry activities will be considered by future conferences of the parties. In order to resolve remaining scientific uncertainties and methodological problems associated with the inclusion of additional sink categories, the Commission actively contributes to the ongoing work of the intergovernmental panel on climate change and the relevant subsidiary bodies of the Convention.

The ongoing work in the field of 'environmental indicators and green accounting' takes into account the valuation of the carbon binding process of forests and the changes in land use in the Member States.

At the global level the Commission works through a number of programmes and projects to support forest conservation and sustainable management of forests. These programmes address a variety of environment and development issues, including conservation of biological diversity, use of renewable resources and the aspect of carbon sinks.

2.1. For some years the Commission has generally been pursuing a policy which favours renewable energies, on energy, environmental and employment grounds. This has resulted, inter alia, in such Community research-development and demonstration programmes as Joule, Thermie and FAIR, which have done much to help create an industry with major potential (including on export markets), as well as the Altener programme, which has supported many renewable energy infrastructure projects.

As for the 'green fuels' mentioned by the Honourable Member, the Commission would point out that the common agricultural policy (CAP) lays down measures concerning energy crops. Specifically, Article 7(4) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1765/92 of 30 June 1992 establishing a support system for producers of certain arable crops ((OJ L 181, 1.7.1992. )) provides for the possibility of non-food crops on fallow land.

2.2. The Commission, aware of the importance of energy and environment issues, recently produced a White Paper (Energy for the future: Renewable sources of energy ((COM(97) 599 final. ))) containing a set of proposals and measures in the form of an action plan for renewables. The plan includes quantified objectives and costs and forecast benefits, as well as the Commission's undertaking to ensure ongoing monitoring.

The Community strategy and the 2010 action plan for renewable sources of energy, as presented in the White Paper, set out to double the share of renewables in the energy balance to 12% in 2010.

Biomass plays an important part. Energy use of biomass includes energy crops, rational use of forests, agricultural and forestry residues and organic waste of agricultural origin and from the agri-food industry, inter alia.

The Commission believes that, in addition to its energy objectives, this initiative also contributes significantly towards the Kyoto objectives.