WRITTEN QUESTION E-3782/00 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Price rises for clean electricity as a result of EU competition rules.
Date: 2000-12-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Netherlands, State aid, electrical energy, environmental tax, price of energy, renewable energy, security of supply

21.8.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 235 E/19

Directive 90/220/EEC is the core element in the regulatory framework for biotechnology. It sets out
8.
the procedures for approvals concerning the initial placing on the market of GMOs. The revised Directive
to be adopted shortly provides for an efficient and transparent regulatory framework guaranteeing a high
level of protection for human health and the environment.

The specific question of antibiotic resistance marker genes is explicitly addressed in the revised Directive
90/220/EEC where an obligation to phase out the use of these markers by the end of 2004 has been
included.

(1) OJ L 117, 8.5.1990.

(2001/C 235 E/023)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3782/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(4 December 2000)

Subject: Price rises for (cid:145)clean(cid:146) electricity as a result of EU competition rules

there is a serious difference in the interpretation of

Is the Commission aware of the report in the Dutch newspaper (cid:145)De Volkskrant(cid:146) of 18 November
1.
2000 that
the Commission(cid:146)s policy, with the
Netherlands energy firms maintaining that the consumer price for electricity from renewable sources
((cid:145)clean electricity(cid:146)) must be increased on the Commission(cid:146)s instructions, while Greenpeace describes this
claim as nonsense?

2.
Is it true that the Commission will be deciding in December that (cid:145)clean(cid:146) electricity in the Netherlands,
which is exempt from the environmental tax, will be required in 2001 to be increased because the
environmental tax on (cid:145)dirty(cid:146) electricity will then be rising from 8,5 cents to 12,5 cents per kW/h, thus
placing (cid:145)clean(cid:146) electricity in a better competitive position and enabling it to price a competing product out
of the market?

Can the Commission confirm that the cost price of wind-generated power can be lower than that for
3.
electricity generated by fossil fuels which are subject to the environmental tax? Has it in the past taken
action to prevent such power being available to consumers at the same or a lower price?

Does the Commission agree that it is not enough if only environmentally aware people on high
4.
incomes have the opportunity to contribute voluntarily to cleaner forms of energy, while clean power
remains unaffordable for the majority of users and there is no change in electricity production for the
majority?

Is the Commission prepared to encourage a growth in the number of users of (cid:145)clean power(cid:146) by

5.
removing obstacles (cid:129) such as the relatively high price (cid:129) as far as possible?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(1 March 2001)

1.
The Commission cannot confirm that the consumer price for electricity from renewable energy
sources must be increased on its instructions. To the contrary, the Commission adopted in May 2000
a proposal for a Directive of the Parliament and of the Council on the promotion of electricity from
renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market (1). The basic objective underlying this proposal
for a Directive is to create a framework that will facilitate a significant medium-term increase in renewable
generated electricity within the Community. To this end the Commission proposal recognises in its recital
18 that public support for renewable electricity will be necessary to reach the Community(cid:146)s objectives with
regard to its expansion, in particular as long as electricity prices in the internal market do not reflect the
full social and environmental costs and benefits of energy sources used.

C 235 E/20

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.8.2001

The regulatory energy tax in the Netherlands includes a zero tax rate for renewable electricity. This
2.
measure was approved by the Commission for the period up to 1 January 2003 (2). The Netherlands
increased the general tax rates within this energy tax as of 1 January 2000. This increase made a new
assessment of the measure under the state aid rules by the Commission necessary. At the moment, the
Commission is assessing the case and thus a decision on this point is still pending.

3.
The cost-price of wind power is subject to numerous factors, including offer and demand on the
electricity market, the efficiency of the wind-power technology employed as well as the application of
support schemes in favour of wind power. Furthermore, the state aid rules of the Treaty in principle do
not prohibit the use of fiscal instruments to support electricity produced from renewable energy sources.
Furthermore, the Commission on 29 November 2000 adopted a Green Paper that outlines a long-term
European strategy for the security of energy supplies (3). This Green Paper finds that the Community must
rebalance its supply policy by clear actions in favour of a demand policy. With regard to demand, the
Green Paper is consequently calling for a real change in consumer behaviour. It thus highlights the value
of taxation measures to steer demand towards better-controlled consumption that is more respectful of the
environment.

4. and 5.
As mentioned above, the Commission is pursuing a policy in favour of increasing the market
share of electricity from renewable energy sources. The Commission believes that such a policy will lead to
a fall in prices for this type of electricity and will thus make it affordable for a wide range of consumers. In
this context, the Commission adopted on 21 December 2000 new Guidelines on State aid for environ-
mental protection (4). These guidelines authorise Member States to grant investment and operating aid to
renewable energies, under very flexible conditions.

(1) OJ C 311 E, 31.10.2000.
(2) OJ C 244, 4.8.1998.
(3) COM(2000) 769 final.
(4) OJ C 37, 3.2.2001.

(2001/C 235 E/024)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3796/00

by Niels Busk (ELDR) to the Commission

(29 November 2000)

Subject: Blackmail of Community exporters

Further to the Commission(cid:146)s answer to my Question No E-2793/00 (1), in which the Commission points
out that exporters can apparently confidently use an unloading and import certificate issued by a control
agency as primary documentation for approval of import documents, will the Commission say:

(cid:129) on what grounds it published a notice in Official Journal C 295 of 18 October 2000 in connection
with the publication of the list at 1 September 2000 of international control and supervisory agencies?

(cid:129) can that notice be interpreted as meaning that other Commission departments have begun to doubt

the reliability of these reports?

(1) OJ C 136 E, 8.5.2001, p. 97.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(8 January 2001)

The unloading and import certificates made out by control and supervisory agents form part of the
primary evidence of arrival at destination.