31 Amendments of Bernd LANGE related to 2013/2135(INI)
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the legal framework provisions concerning the current climate and energy package with binding objectives for the percentage of renewables and reductions in energy consumption and GHG emissions expire in 2020; whereas an end to national requirements regarding greater use of renewables could undermine the necessary growth in this sector;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the potential of renewables has not yet been fully exploited; whereas, under the Energy Roadmap 2050, they are to have the major share in energy provision by that year, necessitating specific milestone objectives up to that date to ensure that the prospects for renewable energy in the EU and diversification of energy supply on the European internal energy market are credible and stable, underpinning Europe's competitiveness and the security of its energy supplies and contributing to the development of new sectors and export opportunities;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas the development of renewables and increased energy efficiency will have a favourable impact on climate and energy objectives, strengthen the security of EU energy supplies, its technological lead and its industrial competitiveness, stimulate growth and employment and generate a high added value for the EU in future;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the EU spent EUR 573 billion on imported fossil fuels in 2011 and its dependency on energy imports is expected to grow; whereas the EU must focus more closely on 'no regret' energy efficiency, renewables and energy infrastructure options;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the European Council to keep up the progress made at EU level and set ambitious, but realistic binding objectives for the 2030 EU policies that take account of the economic, social, environmental, international and technological contexts, and to establish a clear, stable, long-term and cost-effective framework for industries and investors; points outs that a long-term, reliable legal framework, as part of EU energy policy, is essential for secure, good-value and stable energy provision and also for investment security and for the Union’s ability to compete and innovate;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that history has demonstrated that the most effective way of realising the EU's climate and energy objectives is to set binding targets;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Insists that, on the basis of the positive experience gained with the current climate and energy package's binding EU-wide targets for renewables' share of final energy consumption and for reducing GHG emissions and energy consumption, ambitious and binding EU- wide targets in those areas be set for 2030 too;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Insists that the binding EU-wide 2030 target for the renewable component of final energy consumption must be at least 40% to 45% and, furthermore, must be met through binding expansion targets in the Member States;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is of the opinion that support schemes, if better used, c should be an appropriate tool to incentivise the development of renewable energy sources (RES) and energy efficiency and should be better used in future as a result of a more coherent European approach; sees an important role for the Commission in providing guidance in this regard;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that must be increased convergence within European renewables support schemes in order to ensure a cost- efficient, affordable European energy transition based on fair competition, enhance EU innovativeness and make European energy supply technologically optimised, reliable and affordable; points out that Member States should be allowed to have special funding arrangements enabling them to develop and use local and regional resources; states that it must not be possible, however, to amend or set aside existing national funding arrangements retrospectively;
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the Commission to pursue discussions about an appropriate post- 2020 European funding model for renewables so as to counter fragmentation of the EU single market for energy; stresses that that feed-in systems have in the past proved to be very flexible and promising and have made it possible to support a wide technology portfolio;
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that some RES should now be considered mature energy sources and their subsidies should therefore be phased out on Welcomes the fact that, on the energy market, renewables are increasingly competitimve in order to be able to reallocate them to research and development (R&D) programmes and RES that are not yet cost-effective; asks the Commission to study the impact of RES priority dispatch on general energy costfrom a market economy perspective, and calls for that process to be furthered; asks the Commission to study the impact of RES priority dispatch on general energy costs; stresses that the increased production and feed-in of renewables has helped to reduce wholesale prices, and calls for this to be passed on to consumers;
Amendment 403 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that increased energy efficiency and energy savings will play an essential role in the decarbonisation of the energy sector; adds that the energy efficiency sector has an enormous potential to reduce European energy consumption that is far from exhausted; emphasises that the voluntary commitment of EU Member States has not so far produced any satisfactory results; calls on the Commission therefore to change direction by drawing up an ambitious and binding EU-wide energy efficiency target for 2030 and increasing investment in energy efficiency;
Amendment 462 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that as one of the cornerstones of the EU’s climate and energy package, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) should be able to best fulfil its main function, the reduction of GHG emissions, and respond efficiently to economic downturns and upturns or be used as a substitute for the ETS through alternative measures; recalls that the main objective of the EU ETS is to reduce GHG emissions and not to provide investors with sufficient incentives to invest in low-carbon technologies, as these should be seen merely as a secondary objective and not as a basis for evaluating if the scheme works as intended;
Amendment 517 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Welcomes the Commission's intention to draw up a list of government subsidies for the various energy sources in the EU in order to ensure maximum transparency and fair competition in the energy sector;
Amendment 569 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Believes that Member States and regions should be encouraged to improve cooperation in order to optimise the efficiency of renewables expansion; there should also be an increase in the use of existing cooperation mechanisms for renewables; emphasises that setting a binding EU-wide 2030 target regarding the share of renewables in final energy consumption will lead to a greater participation of EU Member States in the cooperation mechanisms; in this context, the Commission has an important role to play as a facilitator in coordinating, financially supporting and preparing appropriate analyses of renewable energy resources and potential for the Member States; points out that exchanges of best practices between the EU Member States in this connection may prove positive;
Amendment 582 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to submit an analysis of how renewable energy sources can be developed sustainably, taking into account environmental impact, aspects related to dependency on raw materials and life cycle and, above all, how to support stable sources of renewable energy such as hydropower, biomass or geothermal power; emphasises that if more use is to be made of energy biomass, sustainability criteria need to be drawn up for solid and gaseous biomass;
Amendment 624 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the importance of an energy strategy focused on boosting energy security for all Europeans at affordable energy prices and economic and industrial competitiveness in the EU, jobthe creation of quality jobs, social aspects and environmental sustainability by means of measures such as the diversification of supply routes, suppliers and sources and by increasing the deployment of RES;
Amendment 637 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Notes that grid infrastructure, grid management and market rules are currently tailored to the needs of nuclear and fossil fuel-fired power stations, with the result that newer technologies such as renewables are placed at a competitive disadvantage; calls for the energy supply system to be rendered more flexible and adapted to the growing share of renewable energies in order to ensure the maximum cost-efficiency and security of energy supply;
Amendment 660 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that as the EU pursues its goal of energy security, emphasis needs to be shifted towards a model of energy interdependence between Member States by ensuring the swift completion of the EU internal energy market; stresses that, to this end, it is necessary to expand energy infrastructure at all grid levels, expand the IT infrastructure, do more to promote research and development and rapidly introduce European standardisation; believes furthermore that completing the EU supergrid infrastructure linking the north, south, east and west will enable the EU to make the best use of the comparative advantages of each Member State, and calls for further support for decentralised and micro-scale energy production and smart energy infrastructures in all Member States, with greater involvement of distribution network operators, and smart energy infrastructures in all Member States; stresses that, in expanding and modernising energy infrastructure, greater cooperation among transmission system operators and intensive, transparent, coordinated and early involvement of all stakeholders must be ensured; stresses, therefore, the need for strong coordination between Member States’ policies and for joint action, solidarity and transparency in view of the fact that national energy policy decisions can affect other Member States; suggests that it would be desirable to determine whether and how the expertise and facilities of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) could be put to use in carrying out the above tasks;
Amendment 679 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes that the lack of full implementation of internal energy market legislation remains one of the main obstacles to completion of the single market; highlights the importance of eliminating remaining infrastructure bottlenecks and instances of market failure and of ensuring that no new barriers to electricity and gas market integration are created; calls for the implementation of existing EU law in the field of energy in all EU Member States to be ensured by means of consistent action by the European Commission in order to bring about a completely integrated, competitive and consumer-friendly internal market in energy;
Amendment 690 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses that energy end consumers – individuals, SMEs and industry alike – are at the very core of the internal energy market and that they should benefit from lower energy prices, be duly protected, and accurately informed and advised by ensuring easy and transparent access to information; draws attention to the importance of ongoing cultivation of awareness in the field of energy in order to promote responsible consumption of energy; for this purpose, calls on the Commission and Members States to achieve, as a matter of urgency, the completion of the internal market, security of supply and the interconnection of networks as requested in Article 194 TFEU;
Amendment 698 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls for secure, stable and affordable European supplies of energy for all Europeans; observes, furthermore, that energy poverty must be combated by means of effective strategies; points out that exchanges of good practice among EU Member States could be useful in this field;
Amendment 708 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Notes that in order to ensure security of supply there must be enough capacity to meet demand in peak periods and in periods of (political or technological) difficulties and that excess capacity or backup must therefore be ensured and maintained; points out the need for storage and more grid flexibility as a response to the intermittence of some sources of RESobserves, furthermore, that initially all options available, such as investment in infrastructure or increased cooperation, should be exploited to promote renewable energies with the aim of securing Europe’s energy supplies; points out the need for storage and more grid flexibility as a response to the intermittence of some sources of RES; stresses that there is an increasing need for a stable policy framework to provide economic guarantees concerning the availability of these reserves; calls for energy market design to be geared to the Union’s long-term energy and climate policy targets and to enable the integration of renewable energy technologies while allowing the internal energy market to develop to the full;
Amendment 742 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Asks the Commission to investigate the potential of energy storage in the EU for the best possible inclusion of RES, both for their storage and to compensate for grid fluctuations, and the various possible technologies in this area;
Amendment 748 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses that modernising the existing energy infrastructure and building new, intelligent and flexible infrastructure at all grid levels for the generation, transmission, distribution and storage of energy is essential for a stable, well-integrated and well-connected energy market, and emphasises that large- scale investments should be made in parallel with investments in regional or even local networks; observes that, with the aid of adaptation of grid infrastructure, it is possible to counteract rising energy prices and greater dependence on imported energy; notes that, in connection with the use of smart technologies, it is also necessary to take into account data protection issues;
Amendment 773 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Believes that an completed, open and transparent internal market, where all EU and third country companies respect the acquis communautaire in the field of energy, can help strengthen the negotiating position of EU energy suppliers vis-à-vis external competitors;
Amendment 805 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Notes that the EU’s main competitors on the global market place great emphasis on technological developments, innovation and improving industrial processes; notes also that their economies grow at a much faster pace than the EU; concludes that the EU must give priority to R&D and innovation; calls on the Commission to submit an industrial policy strategy for renewable energy covering the whole process from research and development up to the financing stage;
Amendment 843 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Stresses the vital importance of investment in the ‘no regrets’ options of energy efficiency, renewable energies and energy infrastructure with a view to bolstering the economy, generating sustainable growth and employment and bringing about stable and affordable energy prices for Europe’s consumers;
Amendment 867 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Underlines, in line with Article 194 TFEU, that Member States are the ultimate decision makers as regards their energy mix and should be able to use and develop different approaches for technologies and energy sources that are environmentally sound and socially and economically acceptable; stresses the need for joint action and increased coordination and cooperation among the EU Member States in the field of energy;
Amendment 900 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Emphasises that the pursuit of closer energy policy cooperation must also be reflected in external energy policy and calls, therefore, for energy agreements with third countries to be concluded at EU level and for EU energy policy objectives to be firmly established;