17 Amendments of Daniel BUDA related to 2021/0218(COD)
Amendment 14 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The European Green Deal (EGD) establishes5 the objective of the Union becoming climate neutral in 2050 in a manner that contributes to the European economy, growth and job creations. That objective, and the objective of a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as set out in the 2030 Climate Target Plan6, that was endorsed both by the European Parliament 7,7 and by the European Council8, requires an energy transition and fair and equitable energy transition, so that no region is left behind, as well as significantly higher shares of renewable energy sources in an integrated energy system. __________________ 5 Communication from the Commission COM(2019) 640 final of 11.12.2019, The European Green Deal. 6 Communication from the Commission COM(2020) 562 final of 17.9.2020, Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition - Investing in a climate-neutral future for the benefit of our people. 7 European Parliament resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal [2019/2956(RSP)]. 8 European Council conclusions of 11 December 2020, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/47 296/1011-12-20-euco-conclusions-en.pdf
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The market for renewable power purchase agreements is rapidly growing and provides a complementary route to the market of renewable power generation in addition to support schemes by Member States or to selling directly on the wholesale electricity market. At the same time, the market for renewable power purchase agreements is still limited to a small number of Member States and large companies, with significant administrative, technical and financial barriers remaining in large parts of the Union’s market and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in various sectors. The existing measures in Article 15 to encourage the uptake of renewable power purchase agreements should therefore be strengthened further, and in certain cases expedited, by exploring the use of credit guarantees to reduce these agreements’ financial risks, taking into account that these guarantees, where public, should not crowd out private financing.
Amendment 34 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Overly complex and excessively long administrative procedures constitute a major barrier for the deployment of renewable energy and generally result in substantial costs, especially for SMEs. On the basis of the measures to improve administrative procedures for renewable energy installations that Member States are to report on by 15 March 2023 in their first integrated national energy and climate progress reports pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council15 , the Commission should assess whether the provisions included in this Directive to streamline these procedures have resulted in smooth and proportionate procedures. If that assessment reveals significant scope for improvement, the Commission should take appropriate measures to ensure Member States have streamlined and efficient administrative procedures in place, identifying additional measures to provide support in key sectors such as agriculture, for example. __________________ 15 Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, amending Regulations (EC) No 663/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives 94/22/EC, 98/70/EC, 2009/31/EC, 2009/73/EC, 2010/31/EU, 2012/27/EU and 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 2009/119/EC and (EU) 2015/652 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p. 1).
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) Agricultural and horticultural businesses have space and roof area and they produce biomass. These are assets that allow them to play a key role in the energy transition of rural areas and within rural communities, especially given the decentralised production. The sector is a relatively small user of energy and can produce significantly more renewable energy than it needs. This is why the roll- out of energy sharing and energy communities should be further encouraged and supported.
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 24 a (new)
Recital 24 a (new)
(24a) The agricultural sector has the potential to produce additional renewable electricity. This renewable electricity is produced in a decentralised way, which is an opportunity in the energy transition. In order to put this electricity on the grid, this grid needs to have sufficient capacity. However, in rural areas the grid often ends and therefore has insufficient capacity to accommodate additional electricity. Grid reinforcement in rural areas should be strongly encouraged so that farms can actually fulfil their potential contribution to the energy transition through decentralised electricity production;
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 24 b (new)
Recital 24 b (new)
(24b) Small-scale on-farm energy production installations have an enormous potential to increase the on- farm circularity by transforming the waste and residual streams of the farm, amongst others manure, into heat and electricity. Therefore, all barriers should be removed to encourage farmers to invest in these technologies towards a circular farm, such as pocket digesters. One of these barriers is the valorisation of residues of the process, for instance RENURE, as well as ammonium sulphate, which should be able to be categorised and used as fertilizers.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 25 a (new)
Recital 25 a (new)
(25a) Given that a large number of households, especially individual homes or small farms in rural areas, rely heavily on wood biomass for heating, a more holistic approach should be adopted to the modification of heating systems. The Commission should make available to Member States a set of measures, including funding, to support vulnerable households and reduce the social impact and development gap in rural areas of the Union. In addition, such measures contribute to ensuring a level playing field for rural farmers.
Amendment 63 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 31 a (new)
Recital 31 a (new)
(31a) The Union’s renewable energy policy aims to contribute to achieving the climate change mitigation objectives of the European Union in terms of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the pursuit of this goal, it is essential to also contribute to wider environmental objectives, and in particular the prevention of biodiversity loss, which is negatively impacted by the indirect land use change associated to the production of certain biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels. At the same time, it is essential to work towards the objective of ensuring sufficient, high quality and affordable food for all European citizens in a bid to achieve the Union's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Contributing to these climate and environmental objectives constitutes a deep and longstanding intergenerational concern for Union citizens and the Union legislator. As a consequence, the changes in the way the transport target is calculated should not affect the limits established on how to account toward that target certain fuels produced from food and feed crops on the one hand and high indirect land-use change-risk fuels on the other hand. In addition, in order not to create an incentive to use biofuels and biogas produced from food and feed crops in transport, Member States should continue to be able to choose whether count them or not towards the transport target. If they do not count them, they may reduce the greenhouse gas intensity reduction target accordingly, assuming that food and feed crop-based biofuels save 50% greenhouse gas emissions, which corresponds to the typical values set out in an annex to this Directive for the greenhouse gas emission savings of the most relevant production pathways of food and feed crop-based biofuels as well as the minimum savings threshold applying to most installations producing such biofuels.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 35
Recital 35
(35) To ensure higher environmental effectiveness of the Union sustainability and greenhouse emissions saving criteria for solid biomass fuels in installations producing heating, electricity and cooling, the minimum threshold for the applicability of such criteria should be lowered from the current 20 MW to 510 MW.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) Additional flexibility is needed to factor in national considerations based on impact assessments.
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12a) The transition to a more integrated energy system that supports clean energy and a climate-neutral economy must provide new vocational training opportunities and prevent job losses.
Amendment 117 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) The use of renewable fuels and renewable electricity in transport can contribute to the decarbonisation of the Union transport sector in a cost-effective manner, and improve, amongst other, energy diversification in that sector while promoting innovation, growth and jobs in the Union economy and reducing reliance on energy imports. Furthermore, in order to achieve the targets set for industry and transport, funding is needed for the introduction of hydrogen from low- carbon as well as renewable sources. With a view to achieving the increased target for greenhouse gas emission savings defined by the Union, the level of renewable energy supplied to all transport modes in the Union should be increased. Expressing the transport target as a greenhouse gas intensity reduction target would stimulate an increasing use of the most cost-effective and performing fuels, in terms of greenhouse gas savings, in transport. In addition, a greenhouse gas intensity reduction target would stimulate innovation and set out a clear benchmark to compare across fuel types and renewable electricity depending on their greenhouse gas intensity. Complementary to this, increasing the level of the energy-based target on advanced biofuels and biogas and introducing a target for renewable fuels of non-biological origin would ensure an increased use of the renewable fuels with smallest environmental impact in transport modes that are difficult to electrify. The achievement of those targets should be ensured by obligations on fuel suppliers as well as by other measures included in [Regulation (EU) 2021/XXX on the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport - FuelEU Maritime and Regulation (EU) 2021/XXX on ensuring a level playing field for sustainable air transport]. Dedicated obligations on aviation fuel suppliers should be set only pursuant to [Regulation (EU) 2021/XXX on ensuring a level playing field for sustainable air transport].
Amendment 143 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15 a – point 2 a (new)
Article 15 a – point 2 a (new)
(2a). The European Commission shall identify sources of funding for the Member States to promote the use of renewable energies, the construction of new farm buildings or the modernisation of existing ones, in a bid to support the balanced development of rural and agricultural areas.
Amendment 145 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15a – point 4 a (new)
Article 15a – point 4 a (new)
(4a) In order to increase the use of renewable energy in the agricultural sector, the support for small-scale on- farm energy production should be increased; investments in installations that can produce renewable heat and electricity from residual streams and animal waste should be encouraged as this boosts the circularity of the farms.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 9 a (new)
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 20 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 20 – paragraph 3 a (new)
(9a) In Article 20, the following paragraph is inserted: 3a. Member States shall strengthen the electricity grid in rural areas in order to allow farmers to put electricity on the grid and to encourage farms to fulfil their potential contribution to the energy transition through decentralised electricity production;
Amendment 169 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 11
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 22 a – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 22 a – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. While meeting these targets, the possible price increases of products developed with this energy, such as fertilizers, must always be taken into account. Higher targets should not result in higher prices for fertilizers, and thus ultimately in higher production costs for farmers, at least not without additional support.
Amendment 239 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 18 – point a – point ii
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 18 – point a – point ii
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
— (a) in the case of solid biomass fuels, in installations producing electricity, heating and cooling with a total rated thermal input equal to or exceeding 510 MW,