Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-03-10-Speech-1-135"
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"en.20030310.6.1-135"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, energy and the environment are two of the EU’s most important challenges. Both these challenges are placed before us when we talk about biofuels and alternatives. Measures to reduce the impact upon the climate and to increase the security of supply are important. The transport sector is one of the most important areas when it comes to the long-term security of supply. This is strongly linked to environmental work, but the transport sector is also important to economic development and the possibility of growth.
Fuel alternatives are extremely welcome. The use of biofuel may contribute to a reduction in the use of existing fossil fuels and to developments being steered in the right direction. The ‘right direction’ means reducing the effect upon the environment. Alternative fuels, including biofuel, must be introduced in a cost-effective way. The objective of sustainable development must be our prime concern, and we must act with a view to the long term.
New technology is being developed constantly. Today’s new technology will be old-fashioned and ineffective tomorrow. Through the decision we take today, we must avoid making future technological development more difficult than necessary. We should instead behave in such a way as to facilitate future leaps in technology without ignoring safety or sustainable development. As I said before, the decision we make must reflect long-term thinking. The focus must therefore be upon promoting those biofuels that, in view of their life cycles, have particularly good characteristics in terms of climate, environmental impact and cost-effectiveness.
Trade and industry need stable basic conditions if managers are to feel confident about their assessments for the purposes of investment. It must be possible to write off new plant in a manner commensurate with the timescales for technological development and with the costs of new plant. It must not be made more difficult to use biofuels in their pure, or all but pure, forms than to use fuels blended from fossil fuels and a small amount of biofuel. It is also important for the individual Member State to be able to decide what form of biofuel is most suitable on the basis of the fundamental conditions that prevail.
Given this background and the position adopted a while ago by the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy, we are on the way to adopting a constructive long-term position in the European Parliament and one characterised by the goal of sustainable development."@en1
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