Den Dover (PPE-DE). – Mr President, I should first of all like to congratulate the rapporteur on a very clear report, particularly the explanatory statement, which uses illustrations. This is marvellous and I wish it happened with other reports.

I speak as the President of the Forum for Construction in the European Parliament. I cannot overemphasise the need for proper building insulation and, as my colleague just said, the need to stop the waste of energy in these enormous slab blocks in the Eastern European countries that are now in the European Union. Some action is desperately needed in that area.

I apologise, on behalf of the United Kingdom, that it has not been up to speed with other countries in these renewable energy, heating and cooling measures. I am sure we will go up the league tables in the next few years.

I fully support the rapporteur’s point that there should be national support schemes. She highlights the fact that the Member States can use these as a matter of principle, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. She points out that any support should be limited in time and gradually reduced. I could not agree more. She then goes on to say that there should be incentive mechanisms to achieve a high degree of market penetration and, finally, that associated heating and cooling networks should be encouraged.

This report is to be welcomed by the industry and the European Parliament and will ensure that we have safe and secure energy supplies in the future.