Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-22-Speech-1-165"
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"en.20071022.17.1-165"2
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". − Mr President, first of all I would like to congratulate Mr Reul on his report. It comes as the last report from the European Parliament in the follow-up of the energy and climate change package from 10 January. The other two reports, by Mr Vidal-Quadras and Ms Thomsen, have given the Commission valuable input for further formulation of the proposals.
Furthermore, and as was stated in Mr Reul’s report, we have to mobilise additional financial and human resources for energy technology research and demonstration.
We have already increased the budget for energy in the seventh Framework Programme by 50% and for the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme by 100%. This could not have been achieved without strong support from the European Parliament.
Member States are also going down this road, and I am convinced that the private sector will do the same, once the framework conditions are right. This applies in particular to industrial-scale demonstration projects and early market deployment, as well as to the fundamental role of small- and medium-sized enterprises.
I will now turn to the second part of the report: the challenges associated with conventional sources of energy. We must recognise that these energy sources will play a substantial role in the energy mix for years to come.
We share the same view: that we need to make the transition from traditional to sustainable fossil fuels. Before the end of the year, the Commission will take further steps to address the use of modern technologies in power generation from fossil fuels.
In particular, the Commission will address the issue of the legal framework for the capture of carbon dioxide and its geological storage. We will table a legislative proposal which aims at establishing the regulatory framework in order to provide legal certainty, and to ensure public confidence in the safety of carbon capture and storage (CCS) deployment. I am also currently preparing a communication to set the political framework in support of CCS.
I agree that CCS will require significant research efforts before it can be commercially viable. This is why CCS will be included among the strategic energy technologies in the Strategic Energy Technology Plan. This is also why we are singling it out for communication in connection with the legislative proposal.
In parallel with continuous research and development efforts, the EU needs to move on demonstration plants. Such projects will provide invaluable experience. They will allow us to optimise existing technologies, and to identify and respond to the remaining challenges.
The goal is clear: to see several large-scale demonstration plants operational in the EU by 2015, and to bring the technology to the market by 2020. This will not happen unless there is strong commitment from the European private sector and strong, supportive government policies. The Commission is ready to lead, but it will be necessary to get the full support of Member States and of the European Parliament.
I will now come to nuclear energy. I am pleased to note that your message regarding nuclear energy is fully in line with our conclusions in the communication on a Nuclear Illustrative Programme, as widely supported by the Economic and Social Committee.
The first concerns our preparation of the internal market package, and the second, the continuing work on the Directive on Renewable Energy. I am also very grateful for the timely input Mr Reul and this House will provide in the area of energy innovation, clean fossil fuel and nuclear energy.
I am also glad that the first meeting of the High Level Group on Nuclear Safety and Waste Management took place on 12 October. The group has a mandate to progressively develop common understanding and, eventually, a higher level of nuclear safety.
I share the report’s view that an open dialogue on nuclear energy is essential. For this reason, the Commission has set up a nuclear forum, on the lines of the other energy forums. The aim of the Nuclear Forum is to enlarge the debate on nuclear energy, and to involve all the relevant players.
On 26-27 November, the first meeting of that forum, also called the Bratislava/Prague Forum, will take place. I trust it will mean more transparency in allowing for consultation with, and between, all stakeholders. I am pleased that the European Parliament will also participate.
I would like, once again, to congratulate the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs for their excellent report. I thank the European Parliament for its support and cooperation. We will use this report in our further work, and I definitely look forward to the debate.
On many accounts, the Commission is already in line with the calls of Parliament and is working on a number of outstanding issues identified in the report.
Europe needs to achieve the important goal of combating climate change. For that, and also for security of supply, we need low-carbon, highly efficient energy technologies. We also need to use fossil fuels in a more sustainable way. And it will be difficult to achieve our climate change goals without the use of nuclear energy.
Let me start by addressing the issue of energy innovation. The Commission intends to present the European Strategic Technology Plan at the end of November. Europe has proven to be successful in setting a regulatory framework in support of low-carbon technologies. Targets have been agreed for energy savings and for renewable energy. We are also building a truly internal market. There is no doubt that these are the basis for the third Industrial Revolution.
However, this is far from enough. If we only depend upon imported low-carbon technologies, we will fail our security of supply and competitiveness objectives.
The analyses currently under way in the Commission show that Europe is falling short in the development of low-carbon technologies. In essence, we are not able to convert the high quality, basic research that is done in the EU into world leading technologies. Today, we do not focus sufficiently on matching research to business developments, by building pilot and demonstration plants to get up to full commercial scale.
For Europe to lead the world in innovation for climate change and energy security, it is essential to be more efficient in the management of the resources invested in energy innovation.
We therefore need better, joint strategic planning at EU level, as well as more effective implementation of energy technology programmes and measures."@en1
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