Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-05-Speech-2-105"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.19991005.6.2-105"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, before coming to the point and discussing the adoption of the European Parliament and Council Decision on the application of the ALTENER programme in accordance with the codecision procedure, once the Treaty of Amsterdam is approved, I would like firstly to express my satisfaction, acknowledgement and gratitude for the support that the Commission has received at all times from the European Parliament specifically in the field of renewable energy.
Amendment No 4 is acceptable in principle, although the Commission considers that it does not so much constitute a third objective of the programme but rather an expansion of the first objective.
With respect to Amendment No 6, I would like to remind you of the favourable acceptance by the Commission of the Parliament’s report on the European Union’s new perspectives in the field of the export of technology and services for the use of renewable energy when it was presented in the plenary meeting on 15 January. However, it is a question of, rather than requiring a new action, considering whether point 25 does not already reflect this need to prioritise exports in order to improve the position of the European industry, which is world leader in certain renewable energy sources, which some speakers have referred to, because in this field we have clear advantages over other producers. This is perhaps where most progress has been made, in Europe and in this field, in recent years.
Amendments Nos. 2 and 7, as well as Nos. 8 and 9, which have reached us in the course of today, have the support of the Commission in principle, although their wording will have to be revised and adapted to a form which is acceptable to the Commission.
Amendment No 5 is in accordance with the initial proposal of the Commission. It is therefore totally acceptable. With regard to Amendment No 10, when it mentions associated Mediterranean countries and Cyprus, I would like to know exactly what we are talking about and therefore tomorrow, when the vote is taken, Mr Patten will raise this question. But alternatively, during our future discussions, we could talk about this issue so that we can specify who and what we are referring to, which would be the most appropriate way, from our point of view, to deal with the concern that this amendment clearly raises.
Mr President, I would like once again to congratulate Mr Langen on his contribution to the continuation and consolidation of the ALTENER programme, since we must remember that this programme is our main instrument, although not from a financial point of view, in the carrying out of the European Union’s strategy on renewable energy. It is undoubtedly the main instrument of coordination, control and monitoring of that strategy. There is no doubt that a key question in all of this will be the Directive on access to the electricity network for renewable energy sources. This will clearly be the key instrument in order to see whether we are capable of promoting the use of this type of energy within our countries.
As you all know, the sources of renewable energy, in the support systems – apart from hydroelectricity, which does achieve very competitive results when compared to other energy sources – cannot compete with traditional sources of energy. Not even in the case of biomass, which is one of the alternative sources which clearly has its place within the framework of the common agricultural policy.
And it is clearly through the possibility of providing access to the network, through being flexible enough in the proposals that we put forward, which allow us to cover the different instruments which the different Member States have used and which are not homogenous and are different, that we will be able to guarantee that renewable energy is not only maintained but doubled in the coming years.
I would like to express my thanks once again and say that I hope that the final revision will contain the definitive formula and therefore provide an impetus for the ALTENER programme, which will clearly promote the use of renewable energy in Europe.
To this end, I would like to thank Mr Langen who is continuing the work of his predecessor, Mr Robles Piquer, a great promoter of these forms of renewable energy. Furthermore, to an extent, both Mr Langen and Mr Robles Piquer have demonstrated that this is not an ideological issue, that we must not mix up questions of liberalism or non-liberalism with what must be our ultimate common objective, which is to promote the use of renewable energy in Europe. This is an effort which corresponds to and obeys two key objectives of European energy policy.
Firstly, an energy policy which respects the environment; an energy policy which takes into account the future of our planet. This must be a characteristic not only of our energy policy but also of any policy worthy of its name on this dawning of the 21st century.
Secondly, we must examine something which is of great concern in Europe: our dependence on third countries with regard to the supply of energy. As soon as we are able to achieve our objective of doubling our sources of renewable energy supply from the current 6% to 12%, we will be less dependent on third countries, some of which may be facing a difficult future.
I have to say, Mr President, that the first ALTENER programme and later the White Paper on Renewable Energy Sources, which has developed Community strategy and the action plan for 2010, have been possible thanks, and I repeat, to the cooperation between our two institutions, Parliament and the Commission, and that the new European Union renewable energy policy has been put together precisely as a result of a good understanding between us.
With regard to the ALTENER programme, which is the second bearing this name, we are now confronted with its enlargement and incorporation into the multiannual framework programme for action in the field of energy. Please allow me, having congratulated Mr Langen on his magnificent work, to also express my gratitude to all the other speakers during the debate.
With regard to Mr Langen and the proposed amendments, which have also been mentioned by some of the other speakers, it is my pleasure to announce that the Commission can accept practically all of them, although I will make some particular points with regard to the last three. Some will be accepted in their entirety. In the case of some others, I will request a different wording which will render them acceptable to the Commission.
As for Amendment No 1, the Commission has always believed that renewable energy policy and energy efficiency policy are closely linked, as some speakers have pointed out, and that the coordination of these two policies is essential. Reference is made to a EURONEW charter
and we must ask ourselves whether it may be premature given that we have little perspective on the strategies and action plans which have already been approved. Perhaps we need a little more time.
Amendment No 3, especially once the working document of the Commission services on the renewal campaign, which has been communicated to Parliament and the Council, has been adopted, is not only acceptable to the Commission but we embrace it with great satisfaction and gratitude."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples