WRITTEN QUESTION E-0619/02

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) to the Commission

(6 March 2002)

Subject: Incompatibility of the Spanish government's nuclear power policy with the Kyoto agreements

The Spanish government, which currently occupies the EU presidency, has now approved an environmental impact assessment concerning the creation of 22 new nuclear power stations within its territory. In addition, the construction of another 49 such stations has been announced, entailing an extra 31 000 to 36 000 megawatts of power and additional emissions of 108 to 125 million tonnes of CO2 per annum.

In this connection, particular attention needs to be drawn to the case, as denounced by Greenpeace, of the planned extension of the Endesa power station in Carboneras (Almería province), which, if it goes ahead, would raise its power level as high as 1 859 to 1 959 megawatts and make it Spain's biggest producer of CO2 emissions, to a maximum exceeding 14 million tonnes per annum.

Does the Commission consider these plans for extending and constructing nuclear power stations to be consistent and compatible with the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and its targets for reducing CO2 emissions?

Will the Commission make representations to the Spanish government, the current occupant of the EU's six-month presidency, to ask it to reconsider its existing policy on nuclear power stations and bring it into line with the targets of the Protocol?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2002)

The choice of sources of energy supply is the competence of Member States.

Member States also decide how to meet the politically agreed emission reduction targets. Under certain circumstances, new power plants may help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This may be for instance the case, when new efficient power plants based on less carbon dioxide (CO2) intensive fuels (e.g. gas) replace old inefficient coal-fired power plants, which are relatively CO2 intensive (also called fuel switch effect). It should be noted that under Community legislation relating to large combustion plants(1), power plants have to meet emission standards in relation to emissions of e.g. sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX). Measures on the supply side are, however, unlikely to be sufficient to achieve agreed emission targets. Demand side measures such as increased energy efficiency are also essential.

Council Decision 1999/296/EC amending Decision 93/389/EEC(2) for a monitoring mechanism establishes a continuous surveillance of Community CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.

This decision obliges the Member States to report their greenhouse gas emissions and their policies and measures annually to the Commission. It requests the Commission to assess these data and to submit annual progress reports on the actual and projected progress of Member States.

The latest assessment of progress at Member State and European level can be found in the annual Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Report(3) published by the Commission in November 2001. Spain as the fifth largest emitter in the EU accounts for 9 % of total EC GHG emissions and increased emissions by more than 20 % between 1990 and 1999. Significant additional effort would seem to be necessary in order for Spain to remain within its EU burden-sharing target under the Kyoto Protocol of + 15 % during the Kyoto commitment period 2008-2012.

To enable the Community to meet the agreed greenhouse gas reduction targets, the Commission not only calls for the development and implementation of national climate change policies and measures, but has complemented these by concrete proposals for policies and measures at European Union level.

(1) OJ L 309, 27.11.2001 Directive 2001/80/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2001 on the limitations of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants.

(2) OJ L 117, 5.5.1999.

(3) Report from the Commission to the Parliament and the Council under Council Decision 93/389/EEC as amended by Decision 1999/296/EC for a monitoring mechanism of Community greenhouse gas emissions, COM(2001) 708 final.