MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

15.3.2006

further to Question for Oral Answer B6‑0009/2006
pursuant to Rule 108(5) of the Rules of Procedure
by Cristiana Muscardini, Guntars Krasts, Umberto Pirilli, Konrad Szymański and Inese Vaidere
on behalf of the UEN Group
on security of energy supply

B6‑0192/2006

European Parliament resolution on security of energy supply

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the conclusions of Parliament's resolution of 29 September 2005 on oil dependency,

–  having regard to the Commission's Green Paper of 8 March 2006 on a European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy (COM(2006) 105),

–  having regard to the conclusions of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council of 14 March 2006,

–  having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the energy dependency of the EU-25 is 48% (2002) and is forecast to reach 71% by 2030,

B.   whereas this dependency is causing great problems in terms of energy supply and efficiency and this situation has also created considerable political and diplomatic complications,

C.   whereas European energy policy has three main objectives, namely security of supply, competitiveness and environmental protection, and in order to achieve those objectives the current energy situation calls for increased use of, and research into, renewable sources and new technologies,

D.   whereas both developments in the Middle East and recent gas crises in Ukraine, Moldova and South Caucasus provoked by Russia show that energy dependency may be used by external forces to influence decision-making processes in Europe,

1.  Welcomes the Commission's new Green Paper on energy efficiency, which it considers to be strategic in view of the need to adopt concrete measures to reduce the Union's energy dependency;

2.  Calls on the Member States to make a coordinated effort to launch a new energy policy geared to security of supply, which should take account of the geographic, economic, regional, climatic and structural characteristics of the Member States, as set out in the Council conclusions;

3.  Supports the Council's conclusion that the EU Member States should speak with a single voice when engaging third countries and welcomes in this context the initiative of the Polish Government to base the new European energy security policy on the solidarity principle; recommends that it be incorporated into the strategy drafted by the Commission;

4.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to ensure that the future Strategic Partnership Treaty with Russia includes energy security clauses which will preclude the use of energy supplies as a tool of political pressure against any EU Member State or ENP (European Neighbourhood Policy) country;

5.  Supports the efforts made by the Union to finance all the activities designed to increase the EU's energy security, including EIB loans and specific EU budget lines;

6.  Stresses the need to adopt measures aimed at diversifying energy supplies by using both traditional and renewable sources;

7.  Reiterates its support for the use of renewable energy sources to guarantee the security of energy supply, and accordingly calls on the Member States to increase their efforts to raise these energies' share of total energy consumption;

8.  Welcomes the adoption of Directive 2001/77/EC on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources;

9.  Deems it essential for the Union to invest in research into future energy technologies and complete the liberalisation of energy markets in order to create an increasingly competitive market in the gas and energy sectors;

10.  Points out that coal is an important energy source and highlights the potential importance of clean coal technology with a view to increasing energy efficiency;

11.  Welcomes the commitment by several Member States to convert existing power plants from oil to clean coal in order to improve the security of the system, and calls on the Member States to provide operators with incentives to invest in fuels providing a more balanced fuel mix, thereby lowering energy costs;

12.  Requests that, under the 7th Framework Programme, research be carried out into biomass, into all renewable energy sources and into coal gasification technology, in order to reduce pollutant emissions and create a world market for the power plants concerned;

13.  Considers that, in order to increase supplies of energy from renewable sources, new, ambitious targets need to be set, including in the heating and cooling sector;

14.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Parliaments of the Member States.