Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-06-06-Speech-1-083"
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"en.20050606.13.1-083"2
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".
Madam President, we need this European directive first and foremost because of what the United Kingdom scientific adviser has called the ‘elephant in the living room’; that is, the enormous threat posed by climate change which we largely pretend not to notice, even though it is sitting massively in front of us.
We also need this directive because of a large and growly bear in our living room. That bear is the threat to our energy supply. By 2020, Europe will be 90% dependent on Russia for oil. Already we get a quarter of our oil and half our gas from Russia. The easiest way to lessen our energy dependency is by using less energy.
This directive will give a clear framework in which companies dealing in energy efficiency can operate and compete. I welcome, in particular, the provisions for accurate metering and billing. In the United Kingdom, the single biggest cause of consumer debt is the arrival of a sudden, enormous utility bill on the doorstep. The requirement for regular bills, based on actual consumption, will put an end to that problem.
The targets in this directive are not ambitious; they are way below what is technologically possible. The advantage of sticking with these modest targets is that they are absolutely realistic and attainable. There are whispers coming from the Council that higher targets might be acceptable if they were merely indicative, not mandatory. But high targets are meaningless if they are just a wish list.
The incoming United Kingdom presidency has declared that tackling climate change will be a top priority. It would be tragic and hypocritical if a knee-jerk reaction against making anything mandatory at a European level were to be allowed to be jeopardise that commitment on climate change. I hope that we in the European Parliament will send the strongest possible message that mandatory targets on energy saving are necessary."@en1
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