21 Amendments of Klaus BUCHNER related to 2015/2113(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the efforts by the Commission to build an Energy Union and calls for its rapid implementation and for an effort to be made to revise its energy and climate targets upwards, while ensuring a level playing field between European and non-European energy producers, including the broad application of a revised Emissions Trading System (ETS); reminds that the European Parliament adopted in its resolutions of 5 February 2014 and 26 November 2014 three binding targets including an energy efficiency target of 40%, a renewables target of at least 30% and a greenhouse gas reduction target of at least 40%;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that a sufficient, secure, stable, affordable energy supply can only be achieved when energy, trade and external policy go hand in hand in a coherent and consistent manner;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the inclusion of energy chapters in trade agreements can improve access to energy resources and foreign markets; calls for coherence between the EU's trade policy and the principles of EU energy policy in this regard; recalls that the overarching objective should be the decarbonisation of the economy in line with the "Energy Roadmap 2050";
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that EU trade policy should aim to diversify the European energy mix and reduce import dependency; stresses that reduced dependence on one supplier should not lead to increased dependence on another; believes that all EU infrastructure projects and trade agreements aimed at diversifying energy sources, suppliers and routes must be fully in line with EU long term decarbonisation commitments and EU environmental and other relevant legislation;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that prioritising energy efficiency and renewable energy will reduce our overall energy needs and imports and that increased support for energy-related research and development is key to a just energy transition and vital for reinforcing the EU's technological leadership; points out the importance of supporting energy storage and conversion technology to safeguard against volatile energy world prices and disruptions in international energy supply;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that 61% of gas imported into the European Union is used in buildings, mainly for heating purposes and that energy demand in the building sector is responsible for about 40% of energy consumption in the EU and a third of natural gas use; stresses therefore that gains in energy efficiency have a crucial effect on reducing EU energy imports from third countries, thereby reinforcing the EU´s negotiating position in external energy related matters; is convinced that a binding energy efficiency target would be a cost-efficient way to achieve the goal of energy self-sufficiency;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Reminds that the European Parliament adopted in its resolutions of 5 February 2014 and 26 November 2014 three binding targets including an energy efficiency target of 40%, a renewables target of at least 30% and a greenhouse gas reduction target of at least 40%;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses, in this respect, that reducing the dependence on fossil fuels with regard, in particular, to authoritarian regimes will make the EU foreign policy more assertive, coherent, consistent and transparent in compliance with the EU founding values;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that rationalising energy demand and promoting sustainable energy sources are among the most effective tools for reducing dependency on external energy from volatile international energy suppliers and achieving EU climate objectives; believes that energy dependency can be reduced in the short term by rationalising energy demand, developing renewables and their storage, storage of gas, developing reverse gas flow infrastructure, supporting new projects that enable maximum use of existing infrastructure and preparing regional plans for security of supply;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to set up a comprehensive framework for the external dimension of the Energy Union, with a specific focus on the promotion of strategic partnerships with energy-producing and transit third countries based on shared common values; this should take into account the current state of regional cooperation and the planning and development of major strategic infrastructure projects, including developing alternative routes and energy suppliers for those Member States currently dependent on a single supplier;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Is of the view that the sustainability of energy sources should also be determined based on the rate of import reliance; stresses, in this regard, that the EU is reliant on imports for about 95% of its uranium;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Points out the importance of developing indigenous renewable energy sources, especially at the local level, which have the potential to increase the EU's security of energy supply;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that the European energy import strategy must take into account the real costs and benefits of energy sources by assessing all direct and indirect factors and not only those that are related to their direct use; recalls the environmental, climate and health risks and impacts relating to the extraction of unconventional fossil fuels;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Highlights the importance trade can play in the promotion and development of future-oriented energy technology, particularly regarding energy storage and transport and the development of international standards for energy efficiency; underlines that according to the International Energy Agency, energy efficiency investments represent the best return on investment of any energy resource; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to treat energy efficiency as an energy source in its own right representing the value of energy saved;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to create a high level reflection group on Energy Security, foreign policy, and the Energy Union with strong representation and involvement of the European Parliament and societal stakeholders, in order to develop credible long-term demand and supply and cooperation scenarios with external partners, especially in the field of capacity building and technology exchange on renewable energy and energy efficiency and the relation between energy and human rights;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on Member States and the Commission - in line with its own global climate policy and the G20 commitment to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels - to immediately ban export credits for investments in fossil fuel based power plants;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Supports the promotion of the sustainable reindustrialisation of the EU and the competitiveness of European industry worldwide; to this extent recalls that the sector of renewable energy requires stronger support to export opportunities in a growing world market as it shows multiple benefits notably providing solutions for developing countries while at the same time ensuring market shares for leading European companies;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Stresses that the Environmental Goods Agreement negotiations must be based on a definition of environmental goods that is consistent with EU policies and should not be in contradiction with measures for Developing Countries adopted in the framework of UNFCCC;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Recalls the objective of making the EU the world leader in key renewables technology such as wind turbines, electricity cables, grid development and services, urban transport systems; regrets that this leadership is under stress and calls on the Commission to take urgent actions to maintain this leadership and European exports in these sector; further calls the Commission to come forward with proposals to neutralise carbon constraint at EU borders in a non- discriminatory, hence WTO compatible, manner;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Recalls that export duties are not, in principle, WTO incompatible;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)
Paragraph 6 f (new)
6f. Points out the importance of supporting energy storage and conversion technology to safeguard against volatile energy world prices; stresses, in this regard, that the existing technologies converting solar and wind generated power into gas can alleviate the problem in the short term, in light of the already existing vast storage facilities, gas transport networks and modern gas power plants;