WRITTEN QUESTION E-0362/96 by Markus Ferber (PPE) to the Commission (22 February 1996)

Subject: EU programmes SAVE and SYNERGIE

The Commission is calling for financial resources for two programmes which clearly overlap with the THERMIE programme (see also the decisions of the European Parliament and the Bundesrat). Can the Commission provide precise information on certain aspects of the SAVE and SYNERGIE programmes and their links with THERMIE.

1. What appropriations have been provided for the EU programmes THERMIE, SAVE and SYNERGIE over the past five years?

2. How is the funding distributed between energy saving, renewable energy, fossil fuels and international cooperation?

3. How has the EU support funding for the THERMIE, SAVE and SYNERGIE programmes been distributed over the past five years among the individual Member States of the European Union?

4. What personnel costs have there been over the past five years for the administration of the THERMIE, SAVE and SYNERGIE programmes?

5. To what extent are the SAVE and SYNERGIE programmes complementary to the THERMIE programme? In which areas are the three programmes complementary and in which do they overlap?

6. Can the Commission provide the current cost-benefit analysis for each of the THERMIE, SAVE and SYNERGIE programmes?

Supplementary answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (26 July 1996)

Following its answer of 9 April 1996 ((OJ C 183, 24.6.1996, p. 26. )), the Commission is now able to provide the following information:

1. The THERMIE, SAVE and SYNERGY programmes have received the following funding over the last five years:

(million ECU)

>TABLE>

2. The table below gives the sectoral breakdown of funding over the same period:

THERMIE:

(million ECU)

>TABLE>

(*) 1995 refers to the demonstration part of the Non-Nuclear specific programme (JOULE-THERMIE) of the IV Framework Programme of RTD. (1) RUE = Rational Use of Energy (2) RES = Renewable Energy Sources (3) FF = Fossil Fuels (4) Not included in total.

Funding for the SAVE programme concerned only energy efficiency.

Similarly, funding for the SYNERGY programmes was used only within the framework of international cooperation.

3. The Commission is sending directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat the recent evaluation reports on these three programmes. These contain relevant information on the allocation of funding for the different programmes.

Regarding distribution between Member States, however, it must be borne in mind that the Commission takes no account of the nationality of applicants when selecting projects. Moreover, a large number of projects are carried out within the framework of international partnerships involving partners from several Member States.

4. The evaluation reports also contain information on the analysis of the human resources needed for programme administration.

5. Two remarks may be made on programme complementarity.

The three programmes operate at different levels:

- THERMIE is based on Decision 94/806/EC ((OJ L 334, 22.12.1994. )) and the 4th framework programme of research and technological development, and operates only in the pre-competitive phase of energy technology promotion, i.e. upstream of SAVE and SYNERGY;

- SAVE is confined essentially to legislative and regulatory activity; where it gives financial backing to market studies and the dissemination of technology and information it operates downstream of THERMIE;

- SYNERGY facilitates international cooperation in the field of energy policy. This rules out any action eligible for the THERMIE programme.

The three programmes are complementary in the field of energy efficiency:

- THERMIE finances the demonstration of technologies and their dissemination upstream;

- SAVE helps to remove non-technological barriers and to facilitate promotion through the creation of an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework;

- SYNERGY helps third countries define and implement their energy policy (technical assistance, institutional cooperation, contacts between operators and investors).

For this complementarity to work it is essential that industry and policy-makers alike are familiar with the results of the various programmes and with real market needs. Seminars and other information events are therefore organized, sometimes jointly - though this does not mean there is any duplication of effort.

6. Concerning the cost-benefit analysis, SAVE was selected for an action to evaluate the cost effectiveness of various Community programmes. A consultant, the Evaluation partnership, was selected and a cost and benefit study was carried out during 1992 and 1993. The consultant concluded that there was a great deal of difficulty in measuring the cost and benefit of a legislative programme such as SAVE. In general, legislative actions have a rather limited cost but if they are applied effectively by the Member States they can have a very high benefit (not only in terms of energy saved but in CO2 reduction as well). The consultant's report will be sent directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

The Commission has made a detailed study of the cost-benefit analysis of the THERMIE programme and will be sending it directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.

Lastly, the evaluation report also tackles this problem in detail in respect of SYNERGY.