WRITTEN QUESTION E-2819/01 by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission. The promotion of renewable energy sources.
Date: 2001-10-10
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, EU policy, State aid, electrical energy, energy policy, energy production, environmental protection, renewable energy, waste recycling

C 93 E/200

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.4.2002

From the chapters in the above mentioned documents dealing with EIA and application of article 6 of the
Habitats Directive, it was concluded that the requirements of Community law have been complied with in
the Netherlands, but that more detailed assessments concerning Natura 2000 sites in Belgium would have
to be done. The same applies to Germany, depending on which route Belgium and the Netherlands will
take option.

According to the ‘Comparative cross-border study on the Iron Rhine’, the reactivation of the historical
route is the most environmentally friendly and also the cheapest of the considerable number of alternatives
that have been studied.

About the consideration of the ‘Montzen route’ as an alternative for the IR, it has to be remarked that the
reactivation of the IR was requested precisely because of the limited capacity of this route in the long term.
Moreover, the functions of the IR and the Montzen route are different in a Community-wide context. The
IR links Antwerp with the Ruhr basin and the north of Europe, while the Montzen route serves the
Cologne area and the south of Europe.

At the meeting on 5 July 2001 in Brussels, it was also made clear that the considerations above only apply
to the proposal to reopen the existing railway line and to restore traffic to levels that have existed before
and that all interventions going beyond the original traffic capacity should be considered separate projects
and have to be assessed specifically.

(1) OJ L 228, 9.9.1996.
(2) OJ L 75, 15.3.2001.
(3) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(4) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2002/C 93 E/237)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2819/01

by Astrid Thors (ELDR) to the Commission

(10 October 2001)

Subject: The promotion of renewable energy sources

The formal adoption of the Directive of the European Parliament on the promotion of electricity produced
from renewable energy sources is now clear. An understanding was found that non-separated municipal
waste should not be promoted under a future support system, if this undermines the hierarchy.

When may we expect a Commission position on the future support system, and how will
separated waste?

it include

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(14 November 2001)

Directive 2001/77/CE of the the Parliament and the Council on the promotion of electricity produced
from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market was adopted on 27 September 2001 and
will enter into force the day of its publication.

Directive 2001/77/CE stipulates in its Article 4 that the Commission shall, no later than four years after its
entry into force, present a well-documented report on the experience gained with the application of the
different national support systems. In that report the Commission will assess the success, including the cost
effectiveness, of the national support systems. According to Article 4, this report shall, if necessary, be
accompanied by a Commission proposal for a Community framework with regard to support schemes for
electricity produced from renewable energy sources.

For the reasons mentioned above, the Commission will not propose in the short term a Community
framework with regard to support schemes as mentioned in Article 4. Experiences need first to be gathered
on the implementation of the Directive and on national support schemes before making a decision as to
how separated waste would be treated under a possible future proposal.