Activities of Justas Vincas PALECKIS related to 2009/0108(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Explanations of vote
Amendments (18)
Amendment 23 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Gas consumption in Europe has increased rapidly during the last ten years. With decreasing domestic production, gas imports have increased even more rapidly, thus creating a higher import dependence and the need to address security of supply aspects. Some Member States, owing to the domination of natural gas in the energy mix, find themselves in an 'energy island' when it comes to high dependency on gas imports from third countries and an absence of infrastructure connections with the rest of the EU.
Amendment 26 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Different sources of Community funding are available to support Member States to finance the necessary investment in indigenous production and, infrastructure and energy efficiency measures, notably loans and guarantees from the European Investment Bank or funding from regional, structural or cohesion funds. The European Investment Bank as well as the Community external instruments such as ENPI, IPA and DCI can also finance actions in third countries in order to improve security of energy supply. Community funding is especially important to improve interconnectivity of regions and Member States which are considered to be "energy islands".
Amendment 27 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The precise definition of the roles and responsibilities of all natural gas undertakings and, Competent Authorities and the Commission is therefore crucial in maintaining the well- functioning of the internal market, particularly in supply disruptions and crisis situations.
Amendment 29 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) In order to ensure the highest level of preparedness in case of supply disruption, Emergency Plans should be established by all natural gas undertakings together with the Competent Authorities. Such plans should be mutually consistent at national, regional and Community level. Their content should follow best practices among existing plans and should define clear roles and responsibilities for all concerned natural gas undertakings and Competent Authorities. Joint emergency plans at regional level, should be established where possible and necessary.
Amendment 32 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) To strengthen the solidarity between Member States in the case of a Community Emergency and in particular to support Member States which are exposed to less favourable geographical or geological conditions, for instance Member States which are "energy islands", Member States should devise specific measures to exercise solidarity, including measures such as commercial agreements between natural gas undertakings, compensation mechanisms, increased gas exports or increased releases from storages. Solidarity measures may be particularly appropriate between Member States for which the Commission recommends the establishment of joint preventive actions plans or emergency plans at regional level.
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32
Recital 32
(32) Since the objectives of the action to ensure the security of gas supply in the Community cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States only and can therefore, by reason of the scale or effects of the action, better be achieved at regional or Community level, the Community may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.
Amendment 35 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point 1
(1) "protected customers" means all household customers already connected to a gas distribution network, and, if the Member State concerned so decides, can also include small and medium-sized enterprises, schools and hospital, hospitals and other institutions providing medical, social and educational public services provided that they are already connected to a gas distribution network;
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 - introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 1 - introductory part
1. By [31 March 2011; 12 months from entry into force] at the latest, the Competent Authority, after consultation of the natural gas undertakings, of the relevant organisations representing the interests of household and, industrial customers and other stakeholders and of the regulatory authority, where it is not the Competent Authority, shall establish:
Amendment 40 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Before adopting those Plans the Competent Authorities shall exchange information and consult each other and the Commission to ensure that their Plans and measures are mutually consistent at the appropriate regional level. These consultations shall cover, as a minimum, interconnections, cross-border supplies, storage across borders and the physical capacity to transport gas in both directions, as well as contractual restrictions to provision of cross-border supplies.
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 3
3. During the process mentioned in paragraph 2 the Commission may recommend at which regional level the exchange of information and consultations shall take place. The Commission, if necessary after consultation of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas ("ENTSO-G") and the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators ("ACER"), may also recommend or request the establishment of a joint Plan at regional level.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 5
Article 6 – paragraph 5
5. The transmission system operators shall enable permanent physical capacity to transport gas in both directions on all interconnections within two years from the entry into force of this Regulation, except in cases where at the request of a Competent Authority, the Commission decides that the addition of a bi-directional flow capacity would not enhance the security of supply of any Member State. Such decision may be reviewed if circumstances change. The level of the bi- directional flow capacity shall be reached in a cost efficient way and at least take into account the capacity required to meet the supply standard set in Article 7. Within that two year period, the gas transmission system operator shall adapt the functioning of the transmission system as a whole so as to enable bi-directional gas flows. The gas transmission operator shall upgrade the infrastructure to ensure that methane leaks from pipelines and from compressor stations are minimised.
Amendment 47 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 7
Article 6 – paragraph 7
7. National Regulatory Authorities shall take into account the costs of fulfilling the N-1 standard and the costs of enabling the permanent physical capacity to transport gas in both directions in their approval of tariffs in line with Article 41(8) of Directive […/…EC]. In the case of costs incurred in more than one Member State, the national regulatory authorities of all Member States concerned shall jointly decide on cost allocation. Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No …/… shall apply. The possibility to co-finance the improvement of the interconnectivity from Community funds, especially for the regions which are considered to be "energy islands", should be explored.
Amendment 49 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2
2. The natural gas undertakings, the relevant organisations representing the interests of household and, industrial customers and other stakeholders and the regulatory authority, where it is not the Competent Authority, shall cooperate and provide all necessary information for the risk assessment.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 - paragraph 6
Article 9 - paragraph 6
6. The Commission shall verify within one weekthree calendar days whether the declaration of an Emergency is justified and whether it does not impose an undue burden on the natural gas undertakings and on the functioning of the internal market. The Commission may, in particular, ask the Competent Authority to modify measures imposing an undue burden on natural gas undertakings and to lift its declaration of Emergency if the Commission considers it not or no longer justified.
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 - paragraph 1
Article 10 - paragraph 1
1. The Commission may declare a Community Early Warning or a Community Alert at the request of a Competent Authority. The Commission shall declare a Community Emergency at the request of one Competent Authority or when the Community loses more than 10% of its daily gas import from third countries as calculated by ENTSO-G. It shall declare a Community Emergency where more than one Competent Authority has declared Emergency following the verification in accordance with Article 9(6). It may declare a Community Emergency for specifically affected geographical regions comprising more than one Member State.
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 - paragraph 2
Article 10 - paragraph 2
2. The Commission may convene the Gas Coordination Group as soon as it declares a Community Early Warning or a Community Alert. The Commission shall convene the Gas Coordination Group as soon as it declares Community Emergency.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 - paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 10 - paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. In a Community Alert the Commission may request the Competent Authorities to coordinate their actions in order to overcome a supply disruption or exceptionally high demand.
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 6 – point b – indent 4 a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 6 – point b – indent 4 a (new)
- Contractual restrictions on re-exporting.