Parliamentary question - E-001690/2014Parliamentary question
E-001690/2014

Spanish Government's energy sector reforms

Question for written answer E-001690-14
to the Commission
Rule 117
Raül Romeva i Rueda (Verts/ALE) , Margrete Auken (Verts/ALE) , Iñaki Irazabalbeitia Fernández (Verts/ALE) , Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) , Catherine Grèze (Verts/ALE) , Indrek Tarand (Verts/ALE) , Jean Lambert (Verts/ALE) , Yannick Jadot (Verts/ALE) , Claude Turmes (Verts/ALE) , Nikos Chrysogelos (Verts/ALE)

In July 2013 the Spanish Government approved a legislative package to reform the country’s energy sector[1].

The EU Member States have set themselves the target of generating 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020, as envisaged in the Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC).

The above‐mentioned reform effectively defends and perpetuates the use of dirty forms of energy in the Spanish system, undermines renewable energies and shores up the already strong economic position of Spain’s five biggest electricity providers.

The reform does away with the special arrangements for renewable energies and retroactively puts an end to support for the development of these energies. It benefits dirty technologies by providing incentives such as availability and capacity payments to combined cycle gas power stations operated by the large firms.

The reform also penalises self-supply by imposing additional charges, including in cases where the totality of the power generated is consumed at source without first being fed into the grid. This measure makes it financially unviable for individual households to produce their own energy, playing into the hands of large producers.

The reform does nothing to address the tariff deficit (a policy advocated by the EU) or its root causes, and instead penalises households which produce renewable energy by pushing up their electricity bills unfairly.

What view does the Commission take on the energy sector reforms approved by Spain in July 2013 and the aforementioned measures stemming from them? What mechanisms does the Commission have at its disposal to ensure that the relevant competent authorities comply with EU rules on renewable energies? Does it intend to take action to ensure compliance with Directive 2009/28/EC?

OJ C 309, 11/09/2014