(24/03/06) Europese Raad en energie: goede elementen, maar onvoldoende

• 2006-03-24

De EU-leiders namen zwakke conclusies aan over de energiepolitiek. Ze schuiven de zwartepiet door naar de slechtwerkende energiemarkten. De Europese belastingbetaler draait daar voor op, enkele grote bedrijven en hun aandeelhouders gaan lopen met de winst. Het is een goede zaak dat er tegen 2015 vijftien procent van de energie uit hernieuwbare bronnen moet komen. Meer was natuurlijk beter geweest. Bovendien gaat nu het meeste geld naar nucleaire energie.

Summit fudges conclusions on EU energy policy

Following the adoption of weak conclusions on EU energy policy at the Spring European Council, Claude Turmes, vice-president of the Green group in the European Parliament and former draftsman of the EU electricity liberalisation directive , said:

"It is a damning indictment of the European Council that EU leaders have chosen to pass the buck on the issue of Europe's malfunctioning energy markets. EU consumers were cheated out of at least 15 billion euro in 2005 alone because of a lack of competitive energy markets, yet the Summit has completely avoided the current energy market mess. All the benefits from the supposed liberalisation of gas and electricity markets are going to the pockets of a handful of energy companies and their shareholders.

"Given renewables targets were under fire from certain Member States, it is positive that the European Council acknowledged the need for concrete mid- and long-term commitments and agreed to a 15% target by 2015. However, a more ambitious target of 20% for overall renewables use by 2020 would have helped boost investor confidence in the upcoming technologies at this crucial time, with a number of large projects in the pipeline.

"It is seriously regrettable that the Austrian Presidency has caved in to the pro-nuclear lobby, spearheaded by France and the EU Commission. By introducing conclusions on 'low emission technologies', the Summit is opening the door to sizeable funding for nuclear technology in the forthcoming research framework programme (FP7). Despite the hyperbole surrounding renewables, most of the cash will go to nuclear energy (1).

"We welcome the call for a 20% rise in energy efficiency and hope that the Commission and the Member States will match the rhetoric with real action in the EU energy efficiency action plan in 2006 and the national energy efficiency action plans in June 2007."

(1) Yearly spending under the forthcoming FP7 2007-13 for nuclear research could be as high as 500 million euro/year whereas the total budget for efficiency and renewables might not even be 200 million euro/year.

Conclusies van de Raad