65 Amendments of Christian EHLER related to 2021/2012(INI)
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the transition to a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) economy requires a clean energy transition that ensures sustainability, energy efficiency, security of supply and affordability of energy;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the transition to net-zero GHG emissions increases the demand for low-carbon energy;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas ORE electrification play a key role in fulfilling with the Unions 2030 climate target and the climate neutrality target in 2050;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas the EU ORE production sector is a technological leader with significant potential to boost the EU economy by supporting the growth of clean energy production in Europe and around the world;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
C d. whereas pursuing 340 GW of ORE by 2050 would need a massive upscaling at a speed there is beyond the devolvement of other energy technologies;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
C e. whereas the under current policies in the EU, the present and projected installation capacity would only lead to only approximately 90 GW in 2050;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C f (new)
Recital C f (new)
C f. whereas it is estimated that the investment needs pursuing 300 GW of offshore wind by 2050 are estimated to be almost EUR 800 billion;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C g (new)
Recital C g (new)
C g. whereas the EU Member States spent around EUR 85 billion on offshore renewable energy investments from 2010 to 2018;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C h (new)
Recital C h (new)
C h. whereas R&D has grown from EUR 133 million in 2009 to EUR 186 million in 2018;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C i (new)
Recital C i (new)
C i. whereas public R&D investments in the wind energy value chain already have played an crucial role in allowing the sector to develop;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C j (new)
Recital C j (new)
C j. whereas the total amount of EU R&D programmes over the 10 past years offshore wind was EUR 496 million;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C k (new)
Recital C k (new)
C k. whereas the vast majority of future offshore renewable energy projects will be funded privately;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C l (new)
Recital C l (new)
C l. whereas the role of ORE in climate change mitigation and energy security is already well-known, the economic and socio-economic impacts from the expansion of ORE, especially when it comes to the occurrence of value- added jobs in the EU at a local level, need to be illuminated;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C m (new)
Recital C m (new)
C m. whereas the NextGenerationEU recovery fund provides an unique opportunity to mobilise substantially public capital in addition to the private investments;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C n (new)
Recital C n (new)
C n. whereas the North Sea is currently the world’s leading region for deployed capacity in offshore wind while regions such as the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea are promising locations to scale-up offshore production and deployment in the EU;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C o (new)
Recital C o (new)
C o. whereas EU ports play a crucial role in ensuring cost effectiveness of offshore wind;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C p (new)
Recital C p (new)
C p. whereas EU ports act as gateways to local development in coastal communities;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C q (new)
Recital C q (new)
C q. whereas landlocked regions in the EU today do not have the same incentives, opportunities and benefits of an EU-level upscaling in offshore wind;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C r (new)
Recital C r (new)
C r. whereas it is estimated to require less than 3 % of the European maritime space and should therefore be compatible with the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C s (new)
Recital C s (new)
C s. whereas the EU currently provides only 1 % of the raw materials for wind energy,less than 1 % of Li-batteries, less than 1 % of fuel cells, only 2 % of the raw materials relevant to robotics and only 1 % of silicon-based photovoltaic assemblies;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C t (new)
Recital C t (new)
C t. whereas the Atlantic neighbouring western EU Member States has a high natural potential for both bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind energy;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C u (new)
Recital C u (new)
C u. whereas the Mediterranean neighbouring southern EU Member States sea has a high potential of mostly floating offshore wind energy;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C v (new)
Recital C v (new)
C v. whereas the Black Sea neighbouring eastern EU Member States offers a big potential for both bottom-fixes and floating offshore win;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C w (new)
Recital C w (new)
C w. whereas the recycling rates of wind turbines are currently very low and only has a service time of around 20 years;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C x (new)
Recital C x (new)
C x. whereas there are environmental challenges linked to the production of ORE, especially wind turbines blades, and that this will require a significant part into landfill after only 20 years;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C y (new)
Recital C y (new)
C y. whereas the current Energy Taxation Directive exempts marine fuel from taxation;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls on the Commission to prioritise ORE, together with other relevant energy technologies, as a core component of Europe’s energy system by 2050;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the energy production targets for ORE in all of EU’s sea basins, as outlined in Commission communication COM(2020)0741, are at least 60 GW by 2030 and 340 GW by 2050; highlights that the competitiveness of offshore wind energy as an energy source will continue to increase and prices will continue to fall further in step with continuous development and deployment; highlights that ORE is weather-based and that a sustainable and reliable energy system needs a combination of low- and zero-carbon energy sources;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Believes that ORE needs to be sustainable and not have adverse impacts on the environment as well as on the economic, social and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment that clarifies the economic and socio- economic impacts, with a special focus on existing jobs and job creation by deploying 340 GW of ORE by 2050 in the EU;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure adequate infrastructure in geographically strategic ports in the EU in order to ensure a cost- effective deployment of ORE;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Invites the Commission to consider ports as users of ORE; calls the Commission to examine the added value of linking the ORE sector with the port clusters in the EU;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Stresses the need to secure adequate port infrastructure when deploying 340 GW of ORE by 2050 in the EU sea basins; points out that the Commission should take into account the potential of job creation and economic benefits when expanding infrastructure of ports in the EU;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4 d. Highlights the importance of ensuring a sustainable and responsible development of the ORE sector, taking into account the critical role of maritime transport and seaports; the development of ORE should take into account the need for safe maritime access lanes and corridors as well as anchorage areas for shipping as well as the potential future development of maritime access lanes to the ports;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4 e. Calls on the Commission to include maritime transport in the scope of the Energy Taxation Directive in its upcoming revision of the directive in 2021 in order to incentivise ship’s use of on- shore electricity when at berth;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 f (new)
Paragraph 4 f (new)
4 f. Stresses that the maritime spatial plans should be adaptive to future trends, including new traffic flows, new shipping routes, or bigger vessels, and should ensure that offshore energy installations co-exist with maritime transport routes, the fishing industry, traffic separation schemes, anchorage areas, naval access and activities and port development; strongly believes that the highest levels of safety for ships transiting near offshore renewable energy installations need to be ensured including sufficient coverage of vessel traffic service and the provision of emergency support vessels in the area;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recognises the potential for ORE in all sea basins of Europe and call upon the Commission and Member States to further progress the key technologies that will harness this energy;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Stresses that Member States' planning of ORE energy needs to take into account environmental protection, protection of nature and the respective legal frameworks at Member State level into account when new permits are approved;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Notes the need to consult at an early stage all relevant stakeholders and to prioritise a bilateral and multilateral Maritime Spatial Planning cooperation between Member States in order to guarantee the safety and continued functioning of maritime transport and the fishing industry;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5 d. Notes that deploying the 340 GW of ORE by 2050 is a comprehensive process and needs a well-functioning supply chain at national, EU and global level; underlines that the EU ORE sector is also relying on imported raw materials and components for production and that the supply chain of these materials should be protected;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Notes the inherent complementarity between different offshore renewable energy technologies, in terms of shared infrastructure, supply chain synergies and more reliable aggregate power production;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that MS collaboration is vital in order to maximise effective use of offshore energy resources; notes that the current legal framework does not facilitate such collaboration sufficiently; strongly believes that failure to increase collaboration between MSs, and inter- connected Third Countries, will inhibit the roll-out of offshore energy; urges the Commission and the MSs to take the necessary action without any further delays;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Welcomes the Commission’s intent to coordinate with Member States to support the deployment of 100MW of wave and tidal energy by 2025 and 1GW by 2030;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that electricity and direct heating and cooling from offshore renewables can contribute to the greening of district heating, decreasing and eventually eliminating its GHG emissions; highlights the potential to incorporate ORE in district heating through clean electricity and heat pumps and sea water air conditioning;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5
Subheading 5
Research and development, innovation & marketscale-up
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Strongly believes that the EU and the MSs should support research iember States should coordinate to support the deploymento and the developmentmarket uptake of floating offshore wind, tidal, wave and current stations, which can be adapted to the different seabed conditions in Europe; points out that the EU should continue to support research into and the development in these offshore technologies;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. Highlights that the potential for new emerging technologies, such as floating wind; stresses that floating wind can provide promising new outlets for the EU industry and thus boost exports;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10 c. Supports the Commission’s ambition to support competent national and regional authorities in creating and delivering ORE-specific education and training programmes and the need to develop a skill pool in the ORE field; calls on the Commission to include the ORE field in its next ‘European Skills Agenda’ in order to help individuals, MNEs, and SMEs to develop the necessary skills for the ORE sector;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10 d. Stresses the need to develop ORE skills, via training, reskilling and upskilling programmes across the supply chain, e.g. in R&D, offshore transport, installation, operation and maintenance, to ensure that there is no labour shortage in the supply chain;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)
Paragraph 10 e (new)
10 e. Highlights that improved ORE skills and sector-specific knowledge are assets that can we exported to third countries and thus export EU’s export of services and contribute to climate change at global level;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the current lengthy process for launching ORE projects and the urgent need to speed it up in order to reach the 2030 and 2050 goals; notes that streamlining MSs procedures and technical standards will facilitate more rapid deployment; calls on the MSs to consider introducing time limits for issuing permits, including the automatic granting of permits after deadlines expire;
Amendment 230 #
13. Notes that the total space required to ensure the offshore wind capacity for the northern seas meets the 2050 goals is expected to be 2.8 %; underlines, therefore, the possibility of compatibility between sea space requirements for ORE and other interests; strongly believes that involving renewables developers early on in the process will contribute to the successful allocation of sea space;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt a full and holistic life-cycle approach when planning and deploying the 340 GW of ORE by 2050; stresses that the production and deployment of wind turbines are carbon intensive and environmental challenging arrangements which should be included in the relevant impact assessment at EU and Member State level;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Calls on the Commission to conduct an analysis of the impacts of the decommissioning of offshore installations and to adopt, if necessary, a EU strategy on sustainable decommissioning of offshore installations in order to minimise environmental, safety, and economic impacts; highlights that such a strategy such include the dismantling of the existing installations and for future decommissioning activities; stresses that a future EU-wide legal framework only is necessary if the analysis shows significant shortcomings of the current legal framework and instruments in the EU Member States;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14 c. Calls for an EU-wide landfill ban on decommissioned wind turbine blades by 2025 in order to ensure circularity, minimise the negative environmental impacts and increase the level of soil protection in the EU;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14 d. Notes the need for a revision of the EU regulation on nature protection and restoration in order to strike a future- proof balance between facilitating the needed industrial framework for an ORE scale-up and balanced nature protection;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 9
Subheading 9
Market design and existing funding instruments
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Calls on the Commission to ensure competitiveness if the Commission finds it necessary to revise the current State aid guidelines; stresses that any revisions should ensure cost efficiency and limit distortion within the Single Market;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Stresses that existing EU funding instruments, such as the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), can support mobilizing needed funding to promote cross-border renewable energy solutions and joint projects in the EU; notes that the CEF can be used to identify potential offshore development sites, fund the necessary studies and to fund construction works, for projects between two or more EU Member States;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Calls on relevant Member States to considering joint cross-border development projects of floating wind farms through the CEF; highlights that floating applications appear to become a feasible option for Member States and regions with deeper sea basins (notably the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea); notes that emerging technology for floating offshore wind in deep waters is progressing steadily towards commercial viability and would benefit EU cross-border projects through the CEF; reminds that CEF has already funded offshore energy projects, such as the North Sea Wind Power Hub project;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16 c. Calls on the Commission to assess the current EU Public Procurement Directive and revise it if significant shortcomings are found in the current legal framework; stresses the necessity to ensure a strong level-playing field for businesses and the added value of minimum harmonised public procurement rules in the EU;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls on the Commission to clarify the entire regulatory framework and focus, in particular on offshore bidding zones for hybrid projects, in the market guidance staff working document accompanying this strategy;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Underlines the need for a market design that is fully compatible with that of ORE, including the need for ensuring an optimal ORE bidding zone configuration; ORE infrastructure at transmission level should be regulated based on unbundling rules with a clearly defined separation of roles and responsibilities in terms of systems responsibility, third party access, as well as transparent tariffs and conditions and thus contributing to the Single Market and the Energy Union;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17 c. Recognises the fact that the Commission can impose duties to counteract a subsidy in a third country; deplores, however, that the negative impact circumstances for the European wind turbine industry due to the anti- subsidy measures on Chinese steel that have been in place since 2016;