Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-02-02-Speech-1-135"
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"en.20090202.16.1-135"2
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substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America (2007-03-14--2009-07-13)3
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"Mr President, Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen, we have history behind us. After all, our energy networks were built to meet the needs of the Cold War and for those political circumstances. Now they have improved and have been patched up here and there, but this has caused us a problem that we will have to return to again later on.
As the need for energy has grown dramatically while the economy has developed at a huge rate, so the price, supply and environmental problems have also changed. They have become the greatest challenge for us. As the problems are global, obviously global solutions are what are needed. It is therefore important that we involve the United States and the developing countries in a common energy process. We will show the way, but the United States has to follow Europe’s example and must work alongside us.
As energy solutions are global, we need European energy diplomacy, and I understand that the Commissioner for Energy has done quite a lot of work in that regard and in connection with this latest energy crisis. We need energy diplomacy for the simple reason that these are such big issues that there have been wars over them before and there will be again in the future. This is thus a very serious issue.
It is also quite obvious that we need an energy mix comprising various energy sources that is as broadly based as possible, because that will stabilise the energy situation and as a result each nation’s diversity, and Europe’s too, will come into its own.
Of course, saving energy is an important solution to the problem: it is the cheapest and the most effective method. For this we need something that I regard today as the most important single thing that should be done: making energy intelligent. If we do not greatly increase the use of intelligent technology we will not achieve our targets. Luckily, smart technology has developed at just the same time. People and companies do not know about the energy they are consuming without smart technology. Consequently, information and communication technologies (ITC) are the solution that will help us reach targets and keep us in order. They are a reminder of our extravagance. They are therefore like a good teacher, but also a good hired hand because intelligence is not just needed for the network, but also for equipment, homes and cars. Everywhere there is human activity, intelligence is needed to control energy consumption. In this connection, I would stress in particular the importance of the small and medium-sized enterprise sector and the innovations that come from this, as it can be truly inventive. Then there is the social dimension: energy poverty and, simultaneously, employment are linked to what has just been said.
We find it odd that Ukraine is a transit country. Obviously, as Mr Swoboda said, the pipeline should be under alternative management, for example under tripartite management that would include the EU, and that way the problem would go away."@en1
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