MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Commission delegated regulation of 31 October 2019 amending Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the Union list of projects of common interest

5.2.2020 - (C(2019)07772 - 2019/2907(DEA))

pursuant to Rule 111(3) of the Rules of Procedure

Marie Toussaint, Bas Eickhout
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group 
Eric Andrieu, Maria Arena, Manon Aubry, Tiziana Beghin, Manuel Bompard, Marc Botenga, Delara Burkhardt, Mohammed Chahim, Leila Chaibi, Ignazio Corrao, Rosa D’Amato, Clare Daly, Pascal Durand, Cornelia Ernst, Eleonora Evi, Laura Ferrara, Mario Furore, Chiara Gemma, Dino Giarrusso, Raphaël Glucksmann, Sylvie Guillaume, Jytte Guteland, Martin Hojsík, Evin Incir, Aurore Lalucq, Martina Michels, Piernicola Pedicini, Sira Rego, Daniela Rondinelli, Günther Sidl, Kathleen Van Brempt, Nikolaj Villumsen, Mick Wallace, Marco Zullo

B9‑0091/2020

European Parliament resolution on the Commission delegated regulation of 31 October 2019 amending Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the Union list of projects of common interest

(C(2019)07772 - 2019/2907(DEA))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission delegated regulation (C(2019)07772),

– having regard to Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure and repealing Decision No 1364/2006/EC and amending Regulations (EC) No 713/2009, (EC) No 714/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009[1], and in particular Article 3(4) and Article 16(5) thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing the Connecting Europe Facility, amending Regulation (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 680/2007 and (EC) No 67/2010[2],

– having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/540 of 23 November 2017 amending Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the Union list of projects of common interest[3],

– having regard to the Council Decision (EU) 2016/1841 of 5 October 2016 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change[4],

– having regard to its resolution of 28 November 2019 on the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain (COP25)[5],

– having regard to the European Council Conclusions of 12 December 2019 endorsing the objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050,

– having regard to its resolution of 28 November 2019 on the climate and environment emergency[6],

– having regard to the communication of the Commission of 11 December 2019 ‘The European Green Deal’ (COM (2019)0640),

– having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal[7],

– having regard to Rule 111(3) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change following the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the ‘Paris Agreement’) commits Parties thereto to ‘[h]olding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels’;

B. whereas greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are the largest contributor to climate change; whereas new gas infrastructure is designed to last at least 40 to 50 years and in some cases even longer; whereas the Commission has noted that the fourth list of projects of common interest has not been subject to a sustainability or climate assessment;

C. whereas the construction of new gas infrastructure projects listed in the Commission delegated regulation creates a new fossil fuel lock-in, which is incompatible with the commitments under the Paris Agreement;

D. whereas, in its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal, the Parliament calls for ‘a revision of the trans-European energy (TEN-E) guidelines before the adoption of the next list of projects of common interest (PCI) in order to align the legislative framework with the priority of smart grids deployment and to prevent the lock-in of carbon intensive investments’; whereas in its position of 17 April 2019 adopted at first reading on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Connecting Europe Facility and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1316/2013 and (EU) No 283/2014, Article 27(2) provides that ‘The Commission shall evaluate the effectiveness and policy coherence of Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 and submit an evaluation to the European Parliament and to the Council with the result of this review by 31 December 2020. In that evaluation the Commission shall consider, inter alia, the Union energy and climate targets for 2030, the EU long-term decarbonisation commitment, and the energy efficiency first principle. The evaluation may, where appropriate, be accompanied by a legislative proposal to revise that Regulation’;

E. whereas Parliament recognises the efforts made by the Commission to keep on the Union list of projects of common interest a stable number of electricity projects, which are necessary to effectively pave the way for the European energy transition;

F. whereas it is crucial to reach the Union’s goals of security of supply and energy independence, but overestimations, overcapacity and unused installations will only lead to higher prices, undermining the competitiveness of the Union’s industries and raising energy bills for all citizen;

1. Objects to the Commission delegated regulation;

2. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and to notify it that the delegated regulation cannot enter into force;

3. Calls on the Commission to submit a new delegated act that avoids the construction of any new fossil fuel infrastructure with potential lock-in consequences and that is fully compatible with the Union’s and the Member States’ commitments under the Paris Agreement;

4. Underlines the need to revise Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 by 31 December 2020 and to simultaneously issue guidelines on spending under the Connecting Europe Facility, as well as for the selection of projects for the fifth list of projects of common interest in line with the Union’s and Member States’ commitments under the Paris Agreement;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

 

• [1] OJ L 115, 25.4.2013, p. 39.
• [2] OJ L 348, 20.12.2013, p. 129.
• [3] OJ L 90, 6.4.2018, p. 38.
• [4] OJ L 282, 19.10.2016, p. 1.
• [5] Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0079.
• [6] Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0078.
• [7] Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0005.