Elisabetta Gardini (PPE-DE). – (IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, the agreement reached on the climate and energy package is, in my view, an ambitious one, because on the one hand it respects the targets set in terms of environmental protection, while at the same time indicating ways to marry these with economic sustainability. I also see it as an Italian success story, since Italy negotiated several critical aspects of the package and the outcome has been positive.

The agreed text is in fact a considerable improvement on the version produced by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and is much closer to our political group’s views. For example, the clause providing for a review in 2010, also in light of the results of the Copenhagen Conference, which was agreed at the proposal of President Berlusconi, is a crucial point and the fact that it was passed with unanimity is, I believe, a good sign of its sensitivity to industry. In the same way, it is significant that the gradual introduction of the auction system in industrial sectors not exposed to international competition was accepted. What is more, those at risk of carbon leakage are set to benefit from free allocations.

This does not mean it will be a walk in the park, however, because this package will nonetheless cause a considerable increase in countrywide system costs. Indeed, the number of free allocations is also linked to the ambitious benchmarks set by the directives in question, and therefore the risk of relocation will not be entirely eliminated. For that reason, we come back to the importance of the review clause: this will be an opportunity to assess whether the system is paying too much and to make corrections and realign our efforts.

Parliament, I feel, should keep an eye on how this agreement is implemented and particularly on how the auctions take place; these will be the real test bed, I believe. We are asking a lot of the real economy and, as we have always maintained, we do not want this effort to turn into excessive financialisation, disconnected from the real economy.