Umberto Guidoni, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group. – (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we stand before an important compromise for Europe, even if the European Parliament has had a bitter pill to swallow.

In particular, the text on renewables that came out of the trialogue contains a clear definition of its objectives and, above all, states that they are mandatory. The 2014 review clause is to be seen as the key to greater flexibility in meeting the reduction target, which remains at 20%, and, if conditions are right, to push it to 30% by 2020. It should be noted that the most powerful and economically advantageous way of introducing flexibility for Member States is to set national efficiency targets for the building, transport and industry sectors and for the better use of electricity.

The mandatory 10% target for biofuels should be qualified with efficiency requirements for manufacturing processes through observing environmental and social sustainability criteria. The use of biomass should be directed towards non-controversial areas and towards more efficient conversion technologies with respect to first and second generation biofuels. The agreement reached in the Council and the will of the European Parliament send out a positive message: we cannot tackle this serious economic crisis without changing our strategy. Those, like Mr Berlusconi, who mocked the European ‘three winds’ directive and called it a quixotic plan, have been proven wrong.

The package that this Parliament is being asked to adopt, although watered down due to the selfishness of the Member States, goes some way to providing innovative solutions to alleviate the impact of climate change. If we cannot act swiftly then this problem will weigh more heavily on the European economy, and above all on the lives of European citizens.