BELGIUM: European Union puts climate change at the heart of new energy policy

With oil imports hit by the latest energy dispute involving Russia, Brussels on Wednesday (January 10) laid out a vision of a common energy policy for the 27-nation bloc that would also seek to ease dependence on foreign suppliers and reduce the dominance of big utilities. The EU's executive Commission made fighting global warming the core of the new policy, proposing the bloc cut greenhouse gases by at least 20 percent by 2020, compared with 1990 levels. "Today the European Commission will call on the European Council to agree to promote a 30 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 for developed countries in international negotiations. But European Union needs to act now. This is why we propose a European Union commitment now to reduce European Union greenhouse emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020 as compared to 1990 levels," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said at a news conference in Brussels. The Commission proposed that renewable energy sources, such as wind and biofuels, make up 20 percent of the EU's energy mix by 2020. This would be a binding target and compares to an existing goal of 12 percent by 2010, which the bloc is likely to miss. The new plan also says biofuels should account for a minimum of 10 percent of fuel used by vehicles by 2020. The plan goes beyond an existing target for an 8 percent cut in emissions from 1990 levels in the 2008-2012 period adopted by the 15 members of the EU before its 2004 enlargement and which several countries are already struggling to meet. Brussels also challenged developed nations around the world to cut emissions by 30 percent by 2020, a move the EU would match if others joined in. The energy plan must now be approved by EU governments. Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said it was unlikely there would be an international agreement to cut greenhouse gases by 30 or even 20 percent and that the EU needed to show the lead and go it alone. "We have a target which is at the highest level of the ranks that was described by the conclusions of the European Council and also, on top of it, we have a unilateral target, going alone if we do not have an international agreement until we have an international agreement of cutting 20 percent of our emissions which is more than double of our obligations to cut emissions according to the Kyoto protocol in 2012" Dimas said. Dimas hailed this as an ambitious plan and a world first. "This is the first time that any country or region in the world has come forward with such a unilateral proposal," Dimas said. The Commission's report said shutting nuclear reactors will make cutting greenhouse gas emissions harder. It encouraged countries that are phasing out nuclear, such as Germany, to replace it with non-polluting sources of power generation. Barroso said it was not up to the Commission to tell member states how to cut their emissions or how much nuclear energy to include in their 'energy basket'. Their priority was for clean energy as long as it was safe. "Of course we are at the disposal of member states which want nuclear to collaborate with them with regards to the European Community's competence notably in the area of safety. We have said that clearly. However it is not up to us, its not up to the Commission to tell member states whether they must, within their energy mix, produce more with nuclear, with less nuclear or if they should not have nuclear," Barroso said. This week's dispute between Russia and Belarus, which has hit oil exports to several EU nations, has highlighted the bloc's vulnerability to foreign producers of fuel. After repeating that it was unacceptable for Russia to cut off oil supplies without warning to its consumers Barroso said it was crucial the European Union diversify its dependence and establish a coordinated approach to deal with any future supply crisis. Energy has been at the heart of the EU since it was born as the European Coal and Steel Community half a century ago but policy remains largely in the hands of national governments. "By 2030 around 65 percent of the union's energy requirements will be met by imports. We have an addiction to energy and like any addiction it is even worse when you depend on someone else on that addiction. The European Union can not achieve its energy and climate change objectives on its own. That is why we need to work both with developed and developing countries and energy consumers and producers. The European Union must develop effective solidarity mechanisms to deal with any energy supply crisis and actively develop a common external energy policy to increasingly speak with one voice with third countries," Barroso said. Environmentalists said the Commission was too modest but business lobby UNICE said the target was too high and European business would suffer if other countries around the world do not agree to cuts.

ITN Source | January 12, 2007

Tags:. .addiction. .unlikely. .renewable. .ease. .laid