Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-03-14-Speech-3-074"
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"en.20070314.4.3-074"2
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"Mr President, the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Dimas, spoke at the end of this Summit about revolutionary decisions. I should like to share his enthusiasm but, amid this chorus of praise, I must voice my scepticism.
True, the policy on climate change has finally been integrated into EU economic policy. That is a good thing. I remember, however, the Lisbon Summit of March 2000, at which the European Union set itself the target of becoming the world’s most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010. Five years on, we have seen the mediocre results of that. I should not like to see this Summit turn into yet another farce and a big disappointment.
I welcome the development of renewable energy sources, but they are just one part of the solution to the problem of global warming. True, we must think in terms of energy efficiency and of the insulation of buildings. Wind energy must be developed, but its impact is very limited; we cannot rely on it: there is no electricity when the wind is too weak, or when it is too strong. Solar energy should be promoted, but we do not have a sufficient number of tradesmen who are trained in these new technologies.
I regret the overcautiousness of the Council, which reluctantly acknowledges that nuclear power is one effective solution regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Mrs Merkel wants the European Union to pioneer the fight against global warming. Everyone agrees, but this is plainly hypocritical when we know that some Member States, which are today opposing nuclear energy, buy energy from this source when the survival of their economies depends on it. Hypocritical, too, is the fact that Mrs Merkel wants to combat CO2 emissions while at the same time enhancing her policy of having electricity generated by coal-burning thermal power stations, when we know the disastrous effects that this has on the environment. Hypocritical, yet again, is the fact that Germany, which no longer wants nuclear power on its territory, sells its nuclear power station technology to China. Hypocritical, lastly, Commissioner, is the fact that you expect industry to make an effort when the German Presidency protects big-engined cars that consume too much energy and emit too much CO2.
So, yes, I agree with the conclusions of this Summit, but the words must be turned into deeds, because it will be thirty years before today’s actions have an effect. The European Union must regain its influence and impose green diplomacy."@en1
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