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The European
Parliament adopted by 596 votes to 85, with 14
abstentions, a resolution on the European strategic
energy technology plan (SET-Plan), in response to the
Commission’s communication on the subject. The own initiative report had been
tabled for consideration in plenary by Jerzy BUZEK(EPP-ED, PL) on behalf of the Committee on Industry,
Research and Energy. MEPs welcome
the European Strategic Energy Technology plan and
consider that a European energy technology policy with adequate financial
support is fundamental to achieving the European Union's energy and climate
change objectives for 2020. They
believe that the development and deployment of innovative, low-cost,
low-carbon energy technologies, energy efficiency and renewable energy are
essential to reducing emissions and creating new markets for EU industry. The
Parliament considers that in order to achieve these targets it is vital to
reduce the cost of green energy and to boost innovation in the energy sector.
To that end, it recommends improving the process of technology transfer from
research centres to enterprises, cutting market penetration times, ending the
current technological and regulatory inertia and enhancing network
interconnectivity. Coordination and Strategic Planning: the resolution emphasises the need to
enhance the coordination of Strategic Energy Technologies at various levels
and among different partners. MEPs support the establishment of a High Level
Steering Group and a transparent and easily accessible information system on
energy technology, especially for SMEs. They also emphasise the vital
importance of improving coordination with third countries, and reinforcing international cooperation in order to implement a
coherent and differentiated strategy in relation to developed, developing and
emerging economies. Research and technology transfer: MEPs reiterate that the SET plan must build
energy research and innovation capacity on a European scale. Coordination
must extend to the various scientific and technological fields that play a
part in energy technology research and development, particularly biology,
information technology, materials science and macro-technologies. The
resolution emphasises the need to improve the transfer of technologies from
research centres to enterprises so that the private sector invests more in
research and assumes greater risks. European Industrial Initiatives (EIIs): MEPs believe that increased support is
needed for low carbon technologies in the demonstration and
commercialisation phase. Therefore, they welcome the proposed EIIs. The EIIs
should be focussed on areas which have the greatest potential to help achieve
the EU's climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy objectives on
a sustainable basis, as well as allowing reduced costs and replication in the
long term. The resolution strongly supports the proposed EIIs on wind, solar,
bio-energy, CO2 capture, transport and storage, electricity grids and nuclear
fission. In particular, MEPs call for biofuels research to be
intensified and stress the importance of developing large-scale biomass to
gas conversion to produce hydrogen and liquid synthetic fuels for sustainable
transport technologies. The Commission is called to investigate the
possibility of extending the EIIs proposed to other sectors with
significant emissions reduction potential such as cogeneration, hydrogen, the
construction and housing sector, heating and cooling systems, better energy
storage and distribution infrastructures and interconnection of networks. MEPs believe that the development of carbon
capture and storage (CCS) technology could play a role in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, provided its efficiency and safety is assured. They call on
the Commission to facilitate the realisation of up to 12 proposed CCS
full-scale demonstration projects within the EIIs. Financing: the resolution points out that the SET plan
should not be financed through the reallocation of funds made available for
energy under FP7 and CIP. MEPs encourage the Commission to ensure adequate
financing and support for new low carbon and zero carbon technology R&D,
demonstration and commercialisation, so that from 2009 onwards, at least EUR
2 billion per annum of the EU budget is spent on support for such
technologies independently from FP7 and CIP. The Commission is called
to put forward proposals for additional resources in the mid-term review of
the financial framework 2007-2013.
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