WRITTEN QUESTION E-1730/02 by Karin Junker (PSE) to the Commission. Possibilities for promoting renewable energies in development cooperation.
Date: 2002-06-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: ACP countries, cooperation policy, developing countries, development aid, financing, renewable energy, solar energy, sustainable development

C 192 E/14

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.8.2003

(2003/C 192 E/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1730/02

by Karin Junker (PSE) to the Commission

(17 June 2002)

Subject: Possibilities for promoting renewable energies in development cooperation

During the ‘Forum on Development Strategies’, held by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau and the
Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft on 11 April 2002 in Brussels, Antonio Garcia Fragio,
speaking on behalf of the Commission’s Directorate-General for Development, noted that 90 % of Africans
had no access to electricity.

Although support for the energy sector is not a main objective of development cooperation, it should be
given increased priority over the energy projects currently supported by the EU.

Given the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, and in order to combat the climate change, it is becoming
increasingly important that the developing countries, too, use renewable energy sources. According to Rolf
Seifried, an expert from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, we may assume that the future increase in
global energy consumption will be caused mainly by developing countries. Their share will rise to 45 % by
2020 (compared to 34 % in 1997).

Can the Commission answer the following:

(cid:1) What action has the Commission taken to promote renewable energies under EU development

cooperation?

(cid:1) What plans does it have in this respect?

(cid:1) What strategies exist in this connection, with particular regard to the ACP States?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(8 August 2002)

The Honourable Member correctly points out that energy is not amongst the six priority sectors of
Community development policy. Furthermore, the approach to energy within development co-operation is
to ensure that the most sustainable energy solution is chosen in each case (from an economic (life-cycle
costs), social, environmental and institutional perspective) to improve access to energy services for the
achievement of poverty eradication. The cost of renewable energy can act as a barrier to their widespread
introduction in developing countries. In a number of cases renewable energy will be the most appropriate
choice economically, for example often in remote rural areas where this for all pratical purposes simply
means using fuelwood, while in others it may not. Current trends suggest that the economics of renewable
energy sources can make them more affordable for the developing nations in the future

There have been a number of successful examples of Community development co-operation using
renewable energy, for example the significant Regional Solar Programme in the Sahel (EUR 50 million in
its first phase) using photovoltaics for water pumping,
(now being extended to a second phase), a
EUR 15 million programme using photovoltaics to provide electricity to remote school in South Africa,
solar energy for islands in Kiribati, etc.

The Commission is currently working together with the Member States to develop a Community energy
initiative, to be launched in Johannesburg at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
Renewable energy will feature as one of the options for activities under this initiative.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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The size and the scope of work to be undertaken by the new partnerships under the Union energy
initiative will develop over time, depending on the demand from the developing countries for the activities
offered through the initiative. The initiative would focus on activities (on a national or regional basis as
deemed appropriate by partner countries) in the following areas: institutional capacity building, technical
co-operation, transfer of knowledge and skills, market development, including facilitating adequate forms
of public-private partnerships, and facilitation of co-operation with financial institutions, and integration of
energy into other sectors.

Regarding African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states, it is interesting to note that so far very few of the
ninth European Development Fund (EDF) ACP Country and Regional Strategy Papers, developed by
the beneficiary countries/regions themselves, feature a strong role for energy. Following the WSSD the
Commission will be organising a meeting for African officials to raise awareness of the role of energy
(including renewables)
in social and economic development, and to further develop partnerships for
the Union energy initiative. Awareness raising is central to the development of the initiative in view of the
limited demand.

Finally, for a more complete description of Commission views on these issues, the honourable Member is
invited to study the Commission’s comments on ‘Energy Co-operation with the development countries’ (1)
adopted on 17.7.2002.

(1) COM(2002) 408.

(2003/C 192 E/014)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1751/02

by Juan Naranjo Escobar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: European Central Bank employees

(19 June 2002)

The leading trade union at the ECB considers that the social rights of the employees of that institution are
being violated because they neither enjoy the rights arising from the Staff Regulations nor benefit from
German labour law, which should apply by default since the seat of the ECB is in Frankfurt. The ECB
argues that its independence recognised in the Treaty allows it to pursue an autonomous personnel policy.

Does the Commission consider that the independence of the ECB justifies the current situation of that
institution’s employees?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(2 August 2002)

The European Central Bank (ECB) has been established under Article 8 of the EC-Treaty. It acts within the
limits of the powers conferred upon it by the EC-Treaty and by the European System of Central Banks
(ESCB) Statute.

In particular, Article 36 (1) of the ESCB Statute stipulates that the Governing Council of the ECB lays down
the conditions of employment of the staff of the ECB and Article 36(2) stipulates the jurisdiction of the
European Court of Justice in any dispute between the ECB and its servants. This Article constitutes the
parallel to Articles 283 and 236 of the EC-Treaty, which are applicable to the officials of the Community.
In addition, the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities states, in its Article 23, that it shall apply also ‘to the
ECB, the members of its organs and to its staff’ in the same ways as it applies to the officials of the
Community.

In this situation, the question of a possible applicability of the labour law of the Host State to employment
conditions at the ECB does not arise. For reasons of transparency, the non-applicability of German labour
law has been recalled in Article 15 of the Headquarters Agreement between the Federal Republic of
Germany and the ECB.