Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-16-Speech-2-072"
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"en.19991116.5.2-072"2
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"Mr President, Members of the Commission, although the importance of environmental considerations has grown over the years, the aim of the Union’s energy policy in the future too must be to ensure that Europe’s industrial and household energy supply is kept at a competitive price. In meeting this aim, the environment also has its own role to play. The environment is, however, not the main objective of an energy policy, – and should not be.
In recent years, the European Union has done much to achieve a more sustainable energy economy. We have committed to a considerable reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2005. We have invested in the increased use of renewable energy resources, and we have expressed our firm desire to take account of the requirements of a sustainable energy economy in the enlargement process. At the same time, we must, however, acknowledge that the demands concerning the Union’s energy policy are partly contradictory.
In connection with this report, there was a wish to discuss nuclear power, and how appropriate a means of production it will be in the future. There can be no denying the contradiction there is between the speeches made here opposing nuclear power, which came from at least a couple directions, and the aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The share of nuclear energy in electricity production must be kept at least at its present level, and it should perhaps even be increased, so that we can achieve the ambitious target for the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, to which all of you, my good friends, including Mrs Plooij-van Gorsel and Mrs Ahern, and everyone else in this House, are committed. If we are to take proper account of the environment, this requires that Member States allow sufficiently early on for replacement and renewal investments in their national strategies, this being a matter for decision making at national level.
Neither can the aim to have a common European energy tax be buried. Reform must, however, be based on the notion that there will be no increase in the overall burden of taxation for European industry. In this regard, I share the concern of my colleague, Mr Mombaur, that the possible threat of an energy tax should be offset by looking into other forms of taxation for business. At the same time, we have to ensure that no model for an energy tax will prevent the very important exploitation of fuel peat in Finland in the future either."@en1
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