P6_TA(2007)0468#Conventional energy sources and energy technology#European Parliament resolution of 24 October 2007 on Conventional energy sources and energy technology (2007/2091(INI))
Date: 2007-10-24
Institutions: Committee on Development, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, Committee on International Trade, Committee on Regional Development, Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, European Parliament
Subjects: energy saving, energy technology, fossil fuel, nuclear energy, renewable energy, security of supply

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P6_TA(2007)0468

Conventional energy sources and energy technology

European Parliament resolution of 24 October 2007 on Conventional energy sources and energy
technology (2007/2091(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission Communication entitled ‘An Energy Policy For Europe’

(COM(2007)0001),

— having regard to the Commission Communication entitled ‘Sustainable power generation from fossil

fuels: aiming for near-zero emissions from coal after 2020’ (COM(2006)0843),

— having regard to the Commission Communication entitled ‘Nuclear Illustrative Programme Presented
the European Economic and Social

the Euratom Treaty for the opinion of

under Article 40 of
Committee’ (COM(2006)0844),

— having regard to the Commission Communication entitled ‘Towards a European Strategic Energy Tech-

nology Plan’ (COM(2006)0847),

— having regard to its resolution of 10 May 2007 on Assessing Euratom — 50 Years of European nuclear

energy policy (1),

— having regard to its resolution of 14 December 2006 on A European strategy for sustainable, compe-

titive and secure energy − Green paper (2),

— having regard to its resolution of 1 June 2006 on Energy efficiency or doing more with less − Green

Paper (3),

— having regard to its resolution of 23 March 2006 on security of energy supply in the European

Union (4),

— having regard to the conclusions of

the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council of

23 November 2006 on an ‘Action Plan for Energy Efficiency’,

— having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the European Council of 8-9 March 2007 on the
adoption of the European Council Action Plan for the period 2007-2009 ‘An Energy Policy for Europe’,

— having regard to the motion for a Resolution on clean technology for coal by Salvador Garriga Polledo,

pursuant to rule 113 of the Rules of Procedure (B6-0143/2007),

— having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the opinions of the
Committee on Development, the Committee on International Trade, the Committee on the Environ-
ment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Committee on Regional Development (A6-0348/2007),

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2007)0181.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2006)0603.
(3) OJ C 298 E, 8.12.2006, p. 273.
(4) OJ C 292 E, 1.12.2006, p. 112.

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A. whereas the EU's high level of dependency on energy imports means that energy policy is becoming
increasingly centred on issues relating to security of supply, renewable energy sources, energy saving,
energy efficiency and diversification of the energy supply,

B. whereas conventional energy sources, namely coal, oil, gas, and nuclear energy, will continue to play an

important role in energy supply,

C. whereas, unless preventive measures are taken, the EU's dependency on imports of fossil fuels will
increase to 65 % of total consumption by 2030, and whereas gas and oil supplies are dogged by
uncertainty due to geopolitical risks and growing competition in terms of demand,

D. whereas the conversion of the coal sector is having significant economic and social effects in regions

that have few alternatives in terms of the diversification of economic activity and job creation,

E. whereas cars with an electric drive-train offer the potential for significant improvements in efficiency

when charged with electricity from a low carbon source,

F. whereas dependency on oil could be reduced incidentally as a result of the adoption of measures to

tackle the significant greenhouse gas emissions of cars,

G. whereas gross power production in the EU is derived from the various energy sources as follows:

nuclear energy 31 %, coal 29 %, gas 19 %, renewables 14 % and oil 5 %,

H. whereas the continued use of fossil fuels requires further efforts to be made in combating climate

change,

I. whereas the EU has set ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets as a key part of its policy to combat

climate change,

J. whereas conventional sources of energy can be used to produce fuels,

K. whereas, in the context of the restructuring of hard coal mining in the EU, it makes sense, even from
the point of view of security of supply, to maintain the present level of access to the substantial
domestic reserves that exist,

L. whereas Community legislation such as Directive 2001/77/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 27 September 2001 on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy
sources in the internal electricity market (1) has been instrumental in spurring technological develop-
ment and private sector R&D investment,

Overview

1. Welcomes the Commission's abovementioned communications on sustainable power production from
fossil fuels, on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan and on the Nuclear Illustrative Programme;

Stresses that improving energy efficiency makes a major contribution to sustainability and security of

2.
supply, while at the same time improving export opportunities for EU producers;

Considers it important, in view of the increasing scarcity of resources, to diversify energy sources; also
3.
notes the importance for security of supply of nuclear fission and the possible future importance, for some
countries, of nuclear fusion; draws attention to the importance for security of supply of regional resource
use;

(1) OJ L 283, 27.10.2001, p. 33.

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4.
Believes that further improvements in the efficiency of fossil fuel power plant technology are essential,
as are further improvements in the safety standards of nuclear power plants, the rapid development of
nuclear fusion technology and corresponding increases in research funding;

5.
Calls on the Member States and regional and local authorities to diversify and decentralise energy
generation using the most appropriate resources in all the various regions of the EU and taking account
of specific regional characteristics;

6.
Notes that increased access to sustainable energy is key to the ability of developing countries to
achieve their Millennium Development Goals and that an estimated two billion people currently suffer
from energy constraints that limit their opportunities for economic development and a better standard of
living;

7.
Emphasises that market distortions will continue to be seen in the internal energy market until the
polluter-pays principle laid down in Article 174(2) of the EC Treaty is applied to energy policy; urges the
including all
Member States once again, therefore, to internalise within energy prices all external costs,
environmental and follow-up costs;

Points out that energy prices must take into account the real external costs of energy production,

8.
including those relating to environmental protection;

9.
Considers that the successful reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector can only
be achieved on the basis of increased use of low carbon technologies such as nuclear energy, clean coal and
renewables;

Energy technology

Insists that sustainable energy supplies to the EU can only be achieved with significant research

10.
efforts and changes in consumer behaviour;

11. Welcomes the EU-US Transatlantic Economic Council, part of the EU-US Transatlantic Economic
Partnership signed in Washington DC on 30 April 2007, which will help to build greater transatlantic
understanding in relation to energy related topics; highlights the need to strengthen relations with regard
to energy-related subjects, something which must also involve legislative aspects;

Notes that Europe leads the world in R&D in innovative energy technologies, including energy effi-

12.
ciency and renewables, and is, in particular, a leader in the area of nuclear fusion technologies;

13.
Urges the Commission, the Member States, the regions, and other stakeholders to utilise the oppor-
tunities offered by cohesion policy and to invest in new energy technologies, both in renewable energy
sources and in sustainable fossil fuel technologies (‘low-emission power plants’);

Urges the Member States and regional authorities to take measures to improve energy security by

14.
means of enhanced direct cooperation in the energy sector, particularly in border regions;

Recommends strong investment in innovation and applied research and capital investment in intelli-

15.
gent energy networks and smart grid technologies;

Notes that states and regions outside the EU are currently making massive investments in R&D
16.
which might threaten Europe's leading position in technology in the medium term, but that over-concentra-
tion of funding in any one field should be avoided; given the global responsibility to combat climate change,
stresses that it would be undesirable for developing countries to lag behind in the deployment of carbon
capture and storage (CCS) and emphasises the overriding importance of close cooperation with China and
India in this regard;

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Stresses that the EU's lead in the field of technology, stemming from the research efforts made by the

17.
EU and the Member States, strengthens the competitiveness of its industry and creates jobs in the EU;

Wednesday 24 October 2007

Calls on the EU, the Member States and businesses, in line with the principle of subsidiarity, to
18.
redouble their efforts in R&D in the field of energy, particularly with a view to enhancing the efficiency of
energy production and supply, reducing environmental consequences, improving the safety of existing tech-
nologies, developing storage techniques for renewables and developing new generations of nuclear reactors
and new energy technologies, including nuclear fusion;

19.
Recommends that, as regards resources that are in limited supply and that will remain critical for the
energy safety and independence of Member States over the coming years, the forthcoming European Stra-
tegic Energy Technology Plan should favour technological developments that optimally exploit their poten-
tial in order to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions;

20.
Notes that the targets for 2020 of a minimum of 20 % renewable energy in the EU's energy con-
sumption and a 20 % improvement in energy efficiency put Europe on a course towards achieving much
higher penetrations of renewables and greater deployment of energy-efficient technology in the longer term;
considers it vital that the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan take full account of this long-term
shift towards the use of renewable energy technology and improved energy performance in all sectors of the
economy;

21. Welcomes the Commission's announcement that it intends to submit the European Strategic Energy
Technology Plan to the 2008 Spring European Council; however, questions where the funding for the Plan
will come from;

Calls on the Commission to support synthetic fuels technology, in view of its potential to reinforce

22.
security of energy supply and reduce emissions from the road transport sector in the EU;

23.
Notes that public funding to support start-ups for new energy technologies should be appropriate in
amount, should take into account their level of commercial viability and should end at the latest once the
new technologies thus supported have become competitive;

24.
Draws attention to the need, highlighted by the Council, to ensure that the most efficient available
technology is used when new capacity is built and that greater use is made of combined heat and power
(CHP), district heating and cooling and industrial residual heat;

25.
Stresses that it would be in the interests of combating climate change to meet, as a minimum
requirement, the Lisbon objectives and to propose an internationally agreed minimum percentage of budget
revenue to be earmarked for research;

Fossil Fuels

Emphasises that fossil fuels will remain highly important to ensuring the EU's security of energy

26.
supply and stresses the value of natural gas as the fossil fuel with the lowest carbon content;

Stresses that fossil fuels will have to be used in the long term for electricity production until basic

27.
needs can be met from renewables;

28.
Stresses the contribution which can be made to security of supply by indigenous energy sources,
particularly the large coal reserves and the substantial untapped oil and gas reserves in some Member States
and Norway; recommends that future energy generation sites be fitted with CCS technology where techni-
cally possible; believes that applicable legal and administrative rules should be commensurate with optimum
production conditions;

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29.
Considers that greater efforts must be made to curb emissions from fossil fuel power production and
to increase its efficiency, inter alia, by supporting the development of CHP; notes, nevertheless, that some
European power stations are already among the most efficient in the world;

Calls on the Commission to encourage investments in combined heat and power production; notes

30.
that highly efficient CHP can achieve double the efficiency of a normal coal-fired condensing plant;

31.
Regards it as unwise, from the point of view of security of supply and cost-efficiency, to hamper the
construction of the most modern and efficient coal-fired power stations by giving the wrong market incen-
tives;

32.
Calls on the Commission to ensure that the emissions trading system does not prevent the replace-
ment of existing plants with modern plants − including nuclear power stations − that have a lesser impact
on the climate;

33.
Calls for further improvements to be made to the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism so
that it can fulfil its purpose of enabling the transfer of efficient, clean and appropriate energy technologies
to developing countries;

34.
Calls on the Commission, when checking the operation of the emissions trading system, to ensure
that proper account is taken of the specific problem of the heat generation market, which largely consists of
individual burners (boilers) fired by fossil fuels and which, given the small size of the burners, is not covered
by the emissions trading system;

Calls for existing fossil fuel-fired power plants to improve their energy efficiency and environmental

35.
performance;

36.
Notes that CCS technology is linked to losses of efficiency in power stations and that technical,
environmental and legal issues relating to the storage of CO2 represent challenges which can only be met
by means of research and political initiatives; believes, however, that it is important that CCS technology
devices should be fitted to fossil fuel plants at the earliest practical opportunity;

Is convinced that the most effective way of ensuring that greenhouse gases do not have an impact on
37.
climate change is to bring about a swift, substantial reduction in the production of such gases; in that
connection, believes that CCS technology represents only one of the means which could be used to address
the issue of climate change;

Notes that CCS is not necessarily a viable option for small power stations, which generate only

38.
relatively small amounts of energy and exist mainly for security of supply purposes;

39.
In connection with CCS technology, calls for research also to be carried out in order to minimise
efficiency losses, to promote safe CO2 storage and to clarify chemical and biological processes for CO2
capture;

Urges the commissioning of comprehensive geological mapping in order to identify the potential for

40.
safe CO2 storage and the most appropriate sites;

Stresses that, while CCS is partly based on tried and tested individual technological components, it is

41.
not underpinned by an overall plan that is proven on an industrial scale;

42.

Points to the lack of adequate information on the effects of CO2 storage on geological strata,

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43.
Regards it as unhelpful to impose mandatory requirements for CO2-free power production in all
power stations since, by the time the technology is developed and ready to be used, the EU emissions
trading system will steer the deployment of CCS technology; nevertheless encourages industry to bear in
mind the concept of ‘capture ready’ when developing new fossil fuel power plants;

Wednesday 24 October 2007

44.
Calls on the Commission rapidly to submit a proposal for legislation on CCS so as to respond to the
legal issues surrounding the storage and transportation of CO2 and thus establish the basis for investment
security in connection with such projects;

Calls on the Commission to assess the potential risks from CCS and lay down requirements for the

45.
licensing of CCS activities and for adequately managing the risks and consequences identified;

46.
Insists that, while the possibilities for geological storage as part of CCS technology are being studied,
it must be ensured that CO2 is stored safely and permanently in locations that do not allow leakages of
carbon back into the atmosphere;

47.
Takes the view that demonstration projects relating to clean-coal technologies must be carried out in
areas where there is a tradition of coal mining and which are suffering the consequences of conversion plans
and have been affected by the financial framework 2007-2013;

48.
Calls on the Commission to lay down as soon as possible clear political guidelines for the further
promotion of research into CCS technology, to explore ways in which CCS can be used in connection with
commercial electricity generation and to submit proposals for avoiding inconsistencies between the applica-
tion of CCS procedures and the emissions trading system, while at the same time ensuring that these guide-
lines and proposals do not hamper the development of renewable energies or efforts to increase energy
efficiency;

49.
Stresses the importance of informing residents in areas with coal-fired plants of their inherent dan-
gers and points out the value of publishing plans to modernise existing power plants and reduce their
environmental impact;

Recognises the fact that, at the current stage of technological progress, it is estimated that electricity

50.
from CCS solutions will be as expensive as electricity from renewable sources;

Stresses the importance of closer cooperation between the Commission and the private sector in

51.
making clean coal technology more feasible;

Stresses that, while greater R&D funding for CCS is needed, this must not be at the expense of

52.
funding for research into renewable energy;

Urges the Commission and the Member States to launch information campaigns on CCS technologies

53.
involving stakeholders and policy makers;

54. Warns against unilateral dependence on particular gas suppliers or supply routes, and stresses the
importance of liquefied natural gas in the context of the diversification of gas imports;

Urges the Commission to carry out more extensive geological research aimed at finding new deposits

55.
of fossil fuels within the territory of the Member States;

Regrets that the Commission did not discuss in more detail security of oil supply in the context of

56.
the energy package, and calls on it to issue a communication on this topic;

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Points out that fossil fuels represent an important substratum which could be the basis for the large-

57.
scale production of hydrogen, both as an energy carrier and as a fuel;

Is concerned by the extensive construction of coal-fired power stations in China and India (which, as
58.
developing countries, are not bound by the Kyoto Protocol), stressing that China is expected to exceed the
United States' CO2 emissions during 2007; notes, however, that China and India are seeking to diversify
energy sources; emphasises the export potential for EU clean-energy technologies; stresses that, in order to
encourage reduced carbon emissions, whilst sustaining economic growth, clean-energy technology, accom-
panied by capacity building, must be a priority of EU infrastructure investment in the developing world;

59.
Supports the Commission's collaboration with China, notably the 2005 EU-China Partnership on
Climate Change and the subsequent 2006 Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Near-Zero
Emissions Power Generation Technology, which should encourage the development of clean energy technol-
ogies; calls on the Commission to work with China to draw up a roadmap for clean energy technology
development in China and to identify the key actions and milestones for the development and deployment
of clean energy technologies in that country; urges the Commission to establish similar relationships with
other emerging economies, notably those of India and Brazil, which may also have extensive coal reserves;

60.
Notes the findings of a 2005 International Energy Agency study which found that the deployment of
some technologies within non-OECD countries could prove much more cost-effective and could be particu-
larly significant where there are major differences between countries' geology and natural resources; consid-
ers that, where this is the case, countries could consider including financial support for developing countries
to help them meet national deployment targets; stresses that the ability to trade deployment instruments
across borders would therefore improve efficiency, ensuring that deployment takes place where it is most
cost-effective;

61.
Calls on the Commission to support the World Bank's and the Regional Development Banks' efforts
to create an energy investment framework, addressing cost, risk and the institutional and informational
barriers to scaling up public-private-partnerships supporting low carbon and carbon free technology; calls
on the Commission to evaluate the various mechanisms designed to facilitate research and development
collaboration, such as the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate and the Carbon
Sequestration Leadership Forum and other technology transfer objectives; calls on the Commission to
develop assessment criteria for international financing, information sharing and research and development
mechanisms based on their ability to contribute to long-term, low-carbon and carbon free technological
development;

Urges the Commission to gauge the territorial impact of its energy policy proposals and to pass on

62.
its findings to the Member States;

Given the urgency of the situation, calls for an immediate increase in support to developing countries

63.
for the use of clean coal technologies that have been proven to be viable and effective;

64.
Supports the promotion of projects and technologies that improve energy efficiency and energy
security in developing countries and that are adjusted specifically to needs and conditions in those countries,
such as teaching people how to produce their own energy-efficient stoves, which can help both to create
employment and to combat further desertification and climate change and can also improve health;

Nuclear Energy

65. Welcomes the Illustrative Nuclear Programme for the Community, which forms the basis for a com-
prehensive discussion of the nuclear option for Europe;

Emphasises that nuclear energy is indispensable if basic energy needs are to be met in Europe in the

66.
medium term;

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Supports the proposal of the March 2007 European Council for an unbiased debate on the oppor-

67.
tunities and risks presented by nuclear energy;

Wednesday 24 October 2007

Points out that research funding in the nuclear energy sphere today is largely concentrated in the area

68.
of safety-related technology;

Acknowledges the fact that nuclear energy is an important component of power supply in 15 of the
69.
27 Member States, and thus for the Union as whole, providing one third of the total EU electricity supply;

Notes that, in the EU, nuclear energy generation has been developed industrially on a large scale over

70.
the last four decades, with ever-improving levels of reliability and safety;

71.
Notes that Finland, France, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania (with the collaboration of Latvia
and Estonia), the United Kingdom, Poland and the Czech Republic are building new nuclear power plants or
are planning to build them or are investigating such a possibility;

Notes that nuclear energy is currently the largest low-carbon energy source in Europe and stresses its

72.
potential role in combating climate change;

Refers to the 3rd IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report which listed nuclear

73.
energy as one way of reducing climate change;

Notes that the decision of each Member State for or against nuclear energy remains in its exclusive

74.
competence, but may have an impact on electricity price trends in other Member States;

Calls on the Commission to propose measures designed to maintain in the EU the high level of skills

75.
required if the nuclear energy option is to remain a viable one;

Notes that short and medium term decisions on the use of nuclear power will also directly affect the
76.
climatic goals that the EU might realistically set; notes that abandoning nuclear power will make it impos-
sible to achieve the objectives set regarding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the combating of
climate change;

77.
Recalls that the Member States which use nuclear energy have committed themselves to complying
with international security and non-proliferation standards, and acknowledges in this connection the par-
ticular importance of the Euratom Treaty;

78. Welcomes the establishment of a high-level group on Nuclear Safety and Waste Management and
views the founding of the European Nuclear Energy Forum as an important stakeholder platform for dis-
cussing a roadmap for nuclear investment which will foster transparent, properly documented and balanced
dialogue on all the issues relating to the use and deployment of that form of energy;

79. Welcomes the Commission's call for the imposition in the EU of common reference levels for
nuclear safety; in that connection, urges that, on the basis of a best practice peer review, these reference
levels should reflect the highest possible safety standards;

Emphasises the importance of the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform launched in Sep-

80.
tember 2007 in establishing a strategic European research agenda for nuclear fission;

81.
Stresses that known global uranium reserves are estimated to be sufficient for more than 200 years,
and that these reserves make feasible some future options to diversify political risks to security of supply or
make it possible to reach compromises between risk, price and location in selecting sources of nuclear fuels;

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82.
Stresses that the developments envisaged in the framework of the Generation IV International Forum,
of which the European Atomic Energy Community is a member, suggest that nuclear energy has a long-
term future thanks to the fact that it relies extensively on a use of resources which allows the timescale for
developing the potential applications of nuclear energy to extend over thousands of years and which will
very significantly reduce the volume and radioactivity of the waste ultimately produced;

83.
Endorses the Commission's statements on the competitiveness of nuclear energy and notes that a
majority of the Community funding under the Seventh Euratom Research Framework Programme is allo-
cated to safety and nuclear fusion; points out that, in order to best meet the EU's strategic criteria, Com-
munity efforts should be combined with research designed to develop a new generation of sustainable
nuclear technology;

Points out that nuclear energy generation will be largely unaffected by any fluctuations in the price of

84.
uranium, since the cost of that fuel has little impact on the price of electricity;

85.

In view of the long investment lead times, stresses the need for a stable legal and political framework;

86.
Refers to the 2006 Eurobarometer survey which indicated that the level of people's knowledge has a
major influence on their attitude to nuclear energy; stresses therefore the importance of an open public
dialogue on nuclear energy in every Member State in order to stimulate public awareness of the positive
and negative effects of nuclear power before any political decisions are taken;

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to finally make progress on the issue of final

87.
disposal in order to bring an end to the interim storage of waste close to the earth's surface;

88.
Recalls that generation IV reactors are expected to improve the efficient use of fuel and reduce the
quantity of waste; calls therefore on the Commission and the Member States to focus on the development of
structural materials and on optimising the use of nuclear fuel, as well as to support projects aimed at
developing prototypes of generation IV reactors;

Notes that the use of nuclear energy can create synergies with renewables, for example by providing

89.
original methods for the effective and economic production of hydrogen or biofuels;

90.
Recalls that dozens of nuclear power plants are planned or being built worldwide, and that it is vital
for European companies to be involved in their construction, both from the point of view of industrial
strategy and in order to promote the most stringent possible safety principles throughout the world;

Notes, finally, the role of the Euratom Loans and calls on the Member States to continue to permit

91.
the use of this important instrument in the future;

92.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.

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