Activities of Tom VANDENKENDELAERE related to 2022/0160(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency
Amendments (18)
Amendment 34 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Member States should designate as renewables go-to areas those areas that are particularly suitable to develop renewable energy projects, differentiating between technologies, and where the deployment of the specific type of renewable energy sources is not expected to have a significant environmental impact nor an impact on food production. In the designation of renewables go-to areas, Member States should avoid protected areas to the extent possible and consider restoration plans. Member States must avoid designating fertile agricultural areas that are suitable for food production as go-to areas. Member States may designate renewable go-to areas specific for one or more types of renewable energy plants and should indicate the type or types of renewable energy that are suitable to be produced in each renewable go-to area.
Amendment 35 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9 a (new)
Recital 9 a (new)
(9a) 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 36 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9 b (new)
Recital 9 b (new)
(9b) Before developing areas of open space for energy production, the go-to areas should be prioritized in the proximity of end users or areas with existing infrastructures.
Amendment 37 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9 c (new)
Recital 9 c (new)
(9c) 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 42 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Multiple use of space for renewable energy production and other land and sea uses (such as food production or nature protection or restoration) alleviates land and sea use constraints. In this context, spatial planning is an important tool to identify and steer synergies for land and sea use at an early stage. Member States should explore, enable and favour the multiple uses of the areas identified as a result of the spatial planning measures adopted. Nonetheless, food production must remain priority number one for farmers. The production of renewable energy by the agricultural sector should not lead to reduced food production or reduced crop yields. The yield of the main crop remains the key objective.
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) There is an urgent need to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels in buildings and to accelerate efforts to decarbonise and electrify their energy consumption. In order to enable the cost-effective installation of solar technologies at a later stage, all new buildings should be “solar ready”, that is, designed to optimise the solar generation potential on the basis of the site’s solar irradiance, enabling the fruitful installation of solar technologies without costly structural interventions. In addition, Member States should ensure the deployment of suitable solar installations on new buildings, both residential and non- residential, and on existing non-residential buildings. Large scale deployment of solar energy on buildings would make a major contribution to shielding more effectively consumers from increasing and volatile prices of fossil fuels, reduce the exposure of vulnerable citizens to high energy costs and result in wider environmental, economic and social benefits. In order to efficiently exploit the potential of solar installations on buildings, Member States should define criteria for the implementation of, and possible exemptions from, the deployment of solar installations on buildings in line with the assessed technical and economic potential of the solar energy installations and the characteristics of the buildings covered by this obligation. Greenhouses which are translucent cannot be subject to these obligations since solar panels would take away the sunlight needed for crop growth.
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 31 a (new)
Recital 31 a (new)
(31a) The agricultural sector can be a valuable player in the production of renewable energy on the sole condition that decisions are made in dialogue with them. Therefore, in the designation of go- to areas, farmers and their representative organisations should be involved.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 31 b (new)
Recital 31 b (new)
(31b) 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 67 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15b – paragraph 3
Article 15b – paragraph 3
(3) Member States shall favour multiple uses of the areas identified as a result of the obligation in paragraph 1, without affecting yields and food production.
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
By [2 years after the entry into force], Member States shall adopt a plan or plans designating, after consulting the relevant stakeholders such as representatives of the agricultural sector, within the areas referred to in Article 15b(1), renewables go-to areas for one or more types of renewable energy sources. In that plan or plans, Member States shall:
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – introductory part
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – introductory part
(a) Designate sufficiently homogeneous land and sea areas where the deployment of a specific type or types of renewable energy is not expected to have significant environmental impacts or significant impact on food production, in view of the particularities of the selected territory. In doing so, Member States shall:
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – indent 1
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – indent 1
— give priority to artificial and built surfaces, such as rooftops, transport infrastructure areasparking areas, waste sites, industrial sites, mines, artificial inland water bodies, lakes or reservoirs, and, where appropriate, urban waste water treatment sites, as well as on-farm sites or degraded land not usable for agriculture;
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – indent 1 a (new)
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – indent 1 a (new)
- give priority to areas or sites where residual streams or waste can be used for renewable energy production;
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – indent 1 b (new)
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – indent 1 b (new)
- give priority to areas in the proximity of end users or areas with existing infrastructures before developing open areas;
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – indent 2
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a – indent 2
— exclude fertile agricultural land as well as Natura 2000 sites and nature parks and reserves, the identified bird migratory routes as well as other areas identified based on sensitivity maps and the tools referred to in the next point, except for artificial and built surfaces located in those areas such as rooftops, parking areas or transport infrastructure.
Amendment 80 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 16a – paragraph 2
Article 16a – paragraph 2
(2) The permit-granting process for the repowering of plants and for new installations with an electrical capacity of less than 150 kW, amongst others on farm small scale energy production installations and medium-sized wind turbines, co-located energy storage facilities as well as their grid connection, located in renewables go-to areas shall not exceed six months. Where duly justified on the ground of extraordinary circumstances, such as on grounds of overriding safety reasons where the repowering project impacts substantially on the grid or the original capacity, size or performance of the installation, that one year period may be extended by up to three months. Member States shall clearly inform the project developer about the extraordinary circumstances that justify the extension.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 16d – paragraph 1
Article 16d – paragraph 1
By [three months from entry into force], until climate neutrality is achieved, Member States shall ensure that, in the permit-granting process, the planning, construction and operation of plants for the production of energy from renewable sources, their connection to the grid and the related grid itself and storage assets are presumed as being in the overriding public interest and serving public health and safety when balancing legal interests in the individual cases for the purposes of Articles 6(4) and 16(1)(c) of Directive 92/43/EEC, Article 4(7) of Directive 2000/60/EC and Article 9(1)(a) of Directive 2009/147/EC, without sacrificing the participatory opportunities of individual citizens or their interest groups.
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Directive 2010/31/EU
Article 9a – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 9a – paragraph 3 a (new)
The provisions of this Article do not apply to new buildings that are more than 50 % translucent, such as greenhouses.