Activities of Elisabeth SCHROEDTER related to 2013/2038(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the implementation and impact of the energy efficiency measures under Cohesion Policy PDF (216 KB) DOC (135 KB)
Amendments (18)
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas investment in EE canwill bring extensive economic, social and environmental returns;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas a timely and effective implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive can significantly reduce energy consumption, restrictdecrease dependence on imports of fossil fuels, encourage energy independence, create new jobs, provide social protection and eradicate energy poverty;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that in the current period of crisis and where the Union imports over 50% of its energy needs, improving EE can prove to be a decisive means of boosting competitiveness of the Union and the creation of jobs and growth at local and regional level, and represents a win- win and no regrets option in the fight against climate change;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Supports the EU's commitment to achieve the objective of increasing EE by 20 % until 2020; notes with concern that current estimates of energy saving efforts undertaken or announced by Member States show that only a 9 % improvement can be reached; urges, in this regard, the Member States to put further efforts towards achieving the EU2020 objective, and to pave the way for further savings beyond this date;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Highlights the importance of cohesion policy, and of the financial resources allocated to it, for the full development of smart grids and intelligent networks which result in more efficient energy systems across the regions, reducing energy consumption and energy loss;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that currently over 9 % of EU citizens cannot keep their homes adequately warm; notes that fuel poverty is particularly severe in new Member States and is in most cases due to poorly performing homes; calls on the Commission to examine in detail the link between EE promotion, fuel poverty and vulnerable consumers; stresses that savings made through EE measures must be passed on to consumers in their final bills;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls the 2009 relaxation of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) regulations regarding energy efficiency, making housing eligible for support in all parts of EU, with a cap of 4 %; notes with concern that, in practice, in many Member States this policy action has not resulted in a substantial increase of funds diverted to this objective; notes that some Member States reject this opportunity in principal, whereas in others a significant correlation has been found between low absorption of funds and weak administrative functions; points at the importance of legal clarity regarding EE measures before the start of the new programming period 2014-2020;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Strongly maintains its position in the ongoing negotiations on the ERDF regulation regarding the earmarked percentages to be used on specific thematic objectives for each category of regions, which would guarantee an important increase in the EE allocations and renewable energy resources; recalls that earmarking isambitious minimum shares are crucial for easier mobilisation of local actors and helps create stable, long-term renovation programmes;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Member States to align their national, regional and local energy and climate strategies with EU long-term climate objectives; specifically, encourages the Member States to strengthen relations between their respective National Energy Efficiency Action Plans and the OPs with a view to ensuring that European Structural and Investment Funds will be part of a coherent strategy while still responding to territorial needs; points out that this could be enhanced within the new framework of ex- ante conditionalities;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Highlights the importance of the use of innovative financial instruments as a way to fully leverage investments in EE in private housing, in particular on the use of financial instruments in housing to combine the aim of energy efficiency with the social dimension;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Highlights with concern that the current economic and financial crisis, and the extensive austerity measures implemented across the EU, have made it increasingly difficult for the Member States to find the funding needed to co-finance Cohesion Policy programmes related to EE; finds it essential, in this regard, that new innovative ways of financing EE projects are founddeveloped; calls on Member States to remove existing barriers on access to finance and to create new targeted financial instruments within the Cohesion Policy, such as microcredits, and give the opportunity to combine it with other budget lines under the IEE programme to fully leverage investments in EE;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls on the Commission to improve further the targeted financial support of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Council of Europe Development Bank and the European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEEF) for EE projects; calls on the EIB, the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and the EBRD to form a joint working group to study alternatives for new FI, which can be made available to the Member States together with or through their National Energy Efficiency Funds to stimulate additional private sector investment;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Takes note of the latest Court of Auditors report on the cost-effectiveness of cohesion policy investments in EE; highlights the Court's recommendation of using transparent and stricter selection criteria for projects both at the EU and Member State level; agrees with the Court's conclusion that assessment criteria used to make an investment decision must be clearer and more precise as regards to how EE aspects are to be considered in order to prevent investments being made on general modernisation instead of targeted EE measures;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Notes, however, that the Court's assessment is rather restrictive in terms of a sample and payback periosize across four operational programmes in three Member States, payback period, dates of the projects, making it difficult to extrapolate to the policy as a whole; highlights that energy efficiency policy has developed significantly in recent years since the audited programmes were negotiated; stresses that the Cohesion Policy is an integrated policy and, thus, that a comprehensive approach, based on life- cycle cost analysis, needs to be adopted when carrying out assessments of projects;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Notes the reply of the Commission to the findings of the Court of Auditors, in particular the conclusion that there might be a conflict of interest between the results of a 'needs assessment' and a 'cost-effectiveness' approach, and that an assessment of needs might lead to a different prioritisation, that it is important to take an integrated approach for investment in public buildings and that deep renovations may need longer pay back times;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Points out that energy consumption in buildings constitutes the largest share – 40 % – of total final energy consumption in the EU and produce 36% of the Union's CO2 emissions; regrets that most Member States fall short when it comes to making full use of the energy saving potential of buildings; calls on the Commission to find ways to guarantee that the greatest energy saving potential will not remained untapped;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes that energy saving potential, which largely depends on the condition of existing building stock, is not equally spread among the Member States; calls on the Member States to refine their definition of 'decent housing' to include energy-efficiency standards;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Highlights the importance of energy efficiency in social housing; calls on Member States to permit energy savings to be made through the modernisation of social housing stock which will combat energy poverty; advocates making priority investment in energy efficiency and in the use of renewables in social and affordable housing; urges Member States to adopt integrated measures, based on local energy audits, both in the private and public sector, in particular through the use of the use of effective, long-term financial leverage to make residential buildings more energy efficient, in both urban and rural areas, while ensuring that this does not lead to a significant increase in housing costs for tenants once energy savings have been taken into account; calls on the Commission to coordinate these efforts and to examine the possibility of introducing incentive measures;