European Parliament adopts energy recommendations

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

The European Parliament (EP) has set out wide-ranging recommendations for the European Union's (EU's) future energy policy. These include a road map for investments in nuclear energy and new emissions targets for 2050.
 
The EP adopted by a large majority a report drawn up by French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Anne Laperrouze on the Second Strategic Energy Review, which will be discussed at the 19-20 March European Council debate on the EU's future energy strategy. The report was adopted by 406 votes in favour, with 168 votes against and 87 abstentions.

Among the main recommendations made in the report for the EU's future energy strategy is a call for the European Commission to draw up a "specific road map for nuclear investments." The MEPs said that it is important to maintain nuclear energy in the EU's energy mix and rejected by a broad majority an amendment which called on EU member states to set up a nuclear energy phase-out plan. Nuclear-generated electricity from 146 reactors made up about 37% of the EU's total in 2008.

However, the MEPs stressed that nuclear energy is to be used "at the highest technologically possible level of safety." They added that the EU's neighbouring countries should also adopt European nuclear safety standards every time a new nuclear plant is planned or an old one is upgraded.

In addition, MEPs said that the European Commission and Council should develop joint models and procedures together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to prevent the peaceful use of nuclear energy from leading to the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The endorsement of a road map for nuclear investments contained in the report was welcomed by Foratom, the trade body for the European nuclear power industry. Santiago San Antonio, director general of Foratom, said, "We welcome this latest unequivocal endorsement by the European Parliament of the pivotal role that nuclear energy plays at the heart of the EU's energy policy. It underlines the increasing support for nuclear energy shown by a majority of MEPs."

 
Other recommendations
 
The Laperrouze report also called on the EU's heads of state to adopt new climate targets to be achieved by 2050. These would be to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80%, improve energy efficiency by 35% and for 60% of the EU's total energy consumption to come from renewable energy sources.
 
The MEPs said that saving energy is "the most effective and cost-efficient way of improving energy security." They called on the European Commission and member states to immediately adopt a legally binding energy efficiency improvement target of at least 20% by 2020. The two other "2020" targets - reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% and increasing the share of renewable energy to 20% - are already fixed by the EU's climate change policy, adopted in December 2008.
 
Other recommendations made in the report are mandatory emergency action plans in case of gas supply shortages. This recommendation was made following the recent gas supply crisis between Ukraine and Russia, which left millions of EU citizens without heating. The MEPs called for a trilateral agreement between the EU, Russia and Ukraine to secure Russian gas supplies to the EU via Ukraine. They also suggested that the EU develops gas storage capacity and that a single European gas grid should be established linking up all EU member states.