28 Amendments of Sofia SAKORAFA related to 2015/2113(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the efforts by the CommRecalls that the future vission to build anof the 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)must be one in which Member States recognise that they depend on each other to combat energy poverty, ensure equal access to affordable energy for all and deliver secure energy to their citizens, based on true solidarity and trust; recognises that in order to meet the global challenges and to ensure that energy- efficiency targets work along with climate goals, the EU must take action at the international level;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that energy should not be used as a means to exert political pressure within either among the Member States or any framework of international cooperation and foreign policy;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that prioritising energy efficiency and renewable energy, diversify where appropriate energy sources and supply routes, support the exploitation of indigenous conventional oil and gas resources, both in traditional production areas (e.g. North Sea) and in newly discovered areas (e.g. Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea), 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;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Member States to explore and develop their natural resources should be respected by all and safeguarded in all circumstances;
Amendment 31 #
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, in close consultation and cooperation with the Member States and in accordance with the respective roles and competences as determined by Treaties, with a specific focus on the promotion of strategic partnerships with energy-producing and transit third countries; 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 or route;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that a future Energy Union should end any energy isolation of Member States and regions and should support most vulnerable countries to diversify their sources and supply routes as a matter of priority;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Invites the Commission to set out the options available for the joint negotiation of energy contracts with external suppliers, whichUnderlines that sustainable consumption of resources as well as low emission economy, should be in the core of Energy Union and that this must be reflected in the EU policies and the effort of the EU to be a pioneer towards climate change tackling; calls that all actors in the EU external policy should take actions to prevent overexploitation in third countries by companies of European interest; in this sense stresses that intergovernmental agreements must be based on the principle of mutual respect with the third countries involved and should always adhere to and promote the EU's core values, the International Law and the Law of the Sea, namely respect for human rights and, democracy and social, environmental and consumer protection.
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the future vision of the Energy Union must be one in which Member States recognise that they depend on each other to combat energy poverty, reiterate that the Energy is a public social good, ensure equal access to affordable energy for all and deliver secure energy to their citizens, based on true solidarity and trust, and in which the Energy Union speaks with one voice in global affairs;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas ex-post assessment and verification of all energy-related agreements as regards compliance with EU law is already possible through, inter alia, competition and energy regulations; whereas insufficient ex-ante compliance checks at national and EU level lead to severe market distortions;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Y a (new)
Recital Y a (new)
Ya. whereas exploitation of indigenous coal and other conventional fossil resources contributes to energy security; whereas adequate funding for coal- mining and extraction of other conventional fossil resources and for research and adaptation of coal- fossil- based energy plants is required to ensure that the mining of indigenous coal and other conventional fossil resources is both economically viable and environmentally sustainable;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that energy suppliers coming from third countries must be subject to the EU acquis while Highlights the need to actively strengthen cooperation with the EU's partners and recognize the important role of international cooperating oon in the common market, and calls on the Commission to enforce EU law by all means available in order to allow energy to flow freely in the EU and prevent distortions in the internal marketfield of Energy, and especially energy security; in this regard stresses that all intergovernmental agreements must be based on the principle of mutual respect with the third countries involved;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that it is of upmost importance to the EU to end the isolation of some Member States from the internal energy marketand regions from European gas and electricity networks, as demonstrated by the gas stress tests carried out by the Commission; calls on the Commission, in this regard, to carry out such tests every two years; Is of the opinion that the EU should help those most vulnerable countries to diversify their sources and supply routes, as a matter of priority;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that a basic precondition for ensuring energy security and stability in the Energy Union is the protection of the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Member States, including those relating to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that greater transparency of intergovernmental agreements could be achieved by strengthening the role of the Commission in energy-related negotiations involving one or more Member States and third countries, including by having the Commission participatethe Commission could, on the request of the Member States, participate as an observer in those negotiations if there is a risk of abuse of a dominant position by one supplier; notes that furthermore the Commission should carry out ex-ante and ex-post assessments and draw up both a positive and a negative list of agreement clauses, such as export ban and destination clauses;for intergovernmental agreements; However, it is important not to jeopardise the ability of Member States to negotiate the content of the agreements.
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Ccalls on the Commission to enhance the transparency of commercial gas contracts in order to effectively remove abusive clauses and ensure better ex-ante compliance checks with EU law and energy security provisionsMember States to communicate to the Commission, on a voluntary basis, commercial gas contracts that are referred explicitly in intergovernmental agreements in order to effectively remove abusive clauses; As regards commercial gas contracts, the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information needs to be guaranteed;
Amendment 387 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 391 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 428 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that the Union can reduce its dependency on particular suppliers and fuels and should terminate its dependency on nuclear energy by maximising its use of indigenous sources of energy, including conventional and unconventional low-emission fossil fuels and renewables, and therefore stresses that no fuel or technology contributing to energy security and climate goals should be discriminated against; above all by promoting energy savings and sustainable consumption. Notes that energy dependency must be reduced following strict rules of environmental protection, including on drillings in sea and on the efforts of production of alternative sources of energy.
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Underlines that the EU should take advantage of the opportunities that emerge from the energy sources of the Eastern Mediterranean, in particular with a view to creating a Mediterranean gas hub through a corridor from the South- eastern Mediterranean to Europe in order to enhance EU's energy security; calls the EU to promote initiatives for the cooperation in the sector of Energy between the countries in the eastern Mediterranean contributing thus to peace and economic prosperity for the people.
Amendment 487 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 807 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Believes that the energy-efficiency target must work alongside energy and climate goals and strengthen the competitiveness of the EU economy vis-à- vis its major trade partners;
Amendment 951 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Recognises that indigenous energy sources such as nuclear, clean coal technologies and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage (CCS) would make a fundamental contribution to EU energy security and decarbonisation, with shale gas facilitatSustainable consumption of resources as well as low emission economy, should be in the core of Energy Union; accordingly the transition to a low- emission economy; believes, in this respect, that the Energy Union must reflect the need foris must be reflected in the EU policies, and the effort of the EU to usbe all low and lower emission sources at Member States' disposal pioneer towards climate change tackling;
Amendment 1031 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43a. Reiterates that Energy is a public social good and therefore the EU should closely focus on the issue of energy poverty and promote measures to tackle this problem. Insists, therefore, that the Energy Union should ensure equal access to energy for all, contribute to affordable energy prices for the benefit of the consumers, promote connections and energy infrastructures that have a strategic role for the benefit of the people and strengthen public control and regulation.