Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-12-11-Speech-2-305"
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"en.20071211.38.2-305"2
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Madam President, in some cases I find it hard to see the connection between the supplementary and the original question, but if you take a liberal approach to these things, I shall also be liberal with my answers.
In answer to the first question, I share Mr van Nistelrooij’s view that the sale of products containing substandard technology in terms of energy efficiency and CO
emissions is certainly not in our interests. Commissioner Dimas and I are working at the present time on proposals for ways to achieve a low-CO
economy in Europe as regards both industrial policy and production and consumption practice. I hope that this work will culminate in standards which can then be fed into international negotiations too.
You know what the current situation is. There is no scope for us at the present time to negotiate on such additional standards in the WTO framework and to secure their introduction. However, it is our aim in the medium and long term, as you know, to make high environmental and social standards binding by means of multilateral agreements in order to avoid the competitive disadvantage that our companies would otherwise suffer.
I also wish to point out that we have a particularly keen interest in the successful pursuit of such a multilateral policy because we believe that the golden opportunity for European companies lies in our ability to become market leaders in the realm of environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and energy-saving products.
As far as Mr Rübig’s question is concerned, I must confess that I do not know the answer. As this subject is not within my portfolio, Mr Rübig, I shall ask Commissioner Mandelson to provide you with a written answer right away. I certainly have no wish to say anything misleading at this point. I know that this matter features in the context of the free trade agreements we are currently negotiating, such as the one with South Africa, but in which category it is actually being discussed is beyond my ken. You will have full information tomorrow at the latest.
As far as nuclear power stations are concerned, the European Commission has a perfectly clear policy, which is the policy of the European Union as a whole. Each Member State is entirely independent and free in its choice of energy mix. No recommendation can be made and no instruction given to any Member State to use or not to use nuclear energy, nor does the Commission try to exert any influence. We are completely neutral on that issue and shall remain so. There will be no recommendations whatsoever of the kind you fear.
You are surely aware, however, that the Euratom Treaty has been integrated into the EC Treaty, which means that promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy is certainly one of the tasks of the European Union. That is done through research support, for which nuclear-energy projects are fully eligible and have been receiving funding for several decades, so it is nothing new, and it is done through the European Investment Bank, which has helped to finance nuclear power stations in certain cases.
In other words, there is no EU policy for the generalised use of nuclear power, nor is there any EU policy for the generalised abandonment of nuclear power."@en1
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