Activities of Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS related to 2013/2135(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A 2030 framework for climate and energy policies (debate)
Amendments (58)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
- having regard to the 2nd Strategic Energy Review: an EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan1; __________________ 1 COM (2008) 781
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication ‘A Stronger European Industry for Growth and Economic Recovery’ (COM (2012)582),
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas final energy prices have steadily increased over the last decade, making it a growing preoccupation for citizens and a considerable cost for companies and industries;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the international community committed to limithat global warming to 2 °Cought not to exceed 2°C above pre-industrial level during the 21st century at the Copenhagen summit in 2009;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas studies indicate that unilateral actions taken by the EU within climate policy can lead to increase in global emissions as a result of the carbon leakage phenomena;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the 2030 Climate and Energy policies need to combine a careful consideration of climate commitments (both long-term EU goals and short-term international negotiations) with the need to address compelling economic and social issues such as energy security, high energy costs for industry and households, need for job creation and economic recovery;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the EU spent EUR 573 billion on imported fossil fuels’s net import bill on fossil fuels amounted to EUR 406 billion in 20112 and its dependency on energy imports is expected to grow;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas many assumptions of the 2nd Strategic Energy Review that corresponded to European environmental policy and that are still used to support new policies are now outdated because of, among others, the global economic crisis and shale gas and oil extraction in the United States;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas studies indicate that upgrading the grids is the best way to improve the internal market, reduce energy costs and boost the competitiveness of industry, as long as a cost-benefit analysis is used to target the relevant investments;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas studies show that overall system costs and effects vary significantly among different generation sources and such aspects should also be considered in the process of framing EU climate and energy policies;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)
Recital I b (new)
Ib. whereas sustainable development is based on the balanced pillars of environmental, economic and social development;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)
Recital I c (new)
Ic. whereas there is a need to ensure the EU’s competitiveness in the global market;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I d (new)
Recital I d (new)
Id. whereas ever increasing energy prices have led to higher rates of fuel poverty in Europe;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission Green Paper on a 2030 framework for climate and energy policies and expects the European Council to address these issues with realistic but ambitious responses; Welcomes also that the Commission has promised additional data by end of this year, such as on the composition of energy prices in the Member States; calls for this data to be available in advance of the presentation of any policy proposals;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Asks the Commission to take a multifaceted and flexible approach, the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of which ought to be enhanced by coordinated and coherent policies that address in equal measure issues such as competitiveness, energy security and climate objectives (e.g. GHG emission reduction, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency); underlines that this requires a consistency of policies where climate policy cannot contradict or be a higher priority than other policies;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Notes that decarbonisation paths will rely on different shares of low carbon technologies in the Member States: renewables, nuclear and carbon capture and storage if it becomes available on time; notes that the integration of a higher share of renewables will require significant extensions of transmission and distribution networks, additional dispatchable back-up capacities and/or storage capacities;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Recalls that any additional cost will be passed on, directly or indirectly, to end- consumers and is of the opinion that mitigating the additional cost of the decarbonisation of the EU energy system is therefore a pre-requisite for maintaining European competitiveness;
Amendment 267 #
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 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 and technology neutral framework for industries and investors in which the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) should be the main instrument as it ensures a market-based approach to reaching our climate and energy goals;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Reiterates that a 2030 energy and climate framework has to deliver on its objectives in a more cost-efficient manner; believes that this could be achieved by reducing the interdependencies and mutual effects of the current policy instruments, in which for example industry is covered by the ETS, by provisions of the Energy Efficiency Directive as well as often affected by the costs of RES integration; argues therefore that different objectives should be considered for different sectors;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Believes, however, that all objectives for 2030 should be closely correlated with the on-going international negotiations on a new climate agreement; calls for their formal adoption only after taking into account the results of the negotiations of a global agreement in Paris in 2015within the UNFCCC;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls for the establishment of a CO2 reduction target in 2030, based on a revised Emission Trading Scheme for industry and other sectors for which this scheme is deemed appropriate;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses that, in case global agreement cannot be reached, any unilateral EU agreement should be subject to visible achievements of the main emitters (e.g. China, USA) comparable or exceeding European emission savings up to date and take into consideration possible effects of carbon leakage phenomenon;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. When revising the Emission Trading Scheme it should be ensured that the scheme remains a fully market-based system and at the same time to increase its ability to adapt to economic upturns and downturns in order to avoid future attempts for market interventions; furthermore, the Commission should propose a mandatory earmarking of auctioning revenues for innovative environmentally friendly technologies; the provisions regarding sectors and subsectors affected by a risk of carbon leakage should be maintained and be only reviewed in the light of a binding international agreement on combatting climate change in order to ensure the highest possible certainty for industry;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Recommends establishing an indicative renewable energy target for 2030; acknowledges in consideration of the TFEU provisions, in particular Art. 194 (Member States competence to define their own energy mix), that this target should be an EU-wide target;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is of the opinion that support schemes, if better used, could be an appropriate tool to incentivise the development of renewable energy sources (RES) and energy efficiencyused efficiently and in compliance with the internal market and the relevant EU state aid rules, could be an appropriate tool to incentivise the development of energy efficiency and close-to-market renewable energy sources (RES) with the aim to make them competitive; sees an important role for the Commission in providing guidance in this regard;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. NotRecognises that subsidies for energy sources may have a significant repercussion on energy prices. In order to contain prices, some RES should now be considered mature energy sources and their subsidies should therefore be phased out on time order, while avoiding retro-active changes, to be able to reallocate thesem to research and development (R&D) programmes andon RES that are not yet cost- effective; asks the Commission to study the impact of RES priority dispatch on the functioning of the energy internal market and on general energy costs;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for all energy subsidies, no matter the source, to be phased out by 2030;
Amendment 404 #
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; believes that an energy efficiency target, defined in terms of energy intensity and taking into account the potential of each economic sector as well as the economic situation, would be advisable; this target should not lead to an absolute cap on energy consumption but stimulate competitiveness and sustainable growth; agrees with the Commission that any further European legislative action on energy efficiency should be discussed in the context of the reviewing of the Energy Efficiency Directive and of the effectiveness of its tools.
Amendment 419 #
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 oflowering of emissions from the energy sector;
Amendment 467 #
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 emissionsthe main instrument for reducing emissions from industry and energy in a cost-effective way, and respond efficiently to economic downturns and upturns; 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-carbemission 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 468 #
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, andthe main instrument for reducing emissions from industry and energy in a cost-effective way, and should be able to respond efficiently to economic downturns and upturns; 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 529 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Asks Member States for better cooperation and interaction at EU level in order to make national measures more consistent; believes that the 2030 climate and energy framework should include some mandatory elements requiring Member States to consult with their neighbouring countries in case they plan significant changes in their energy supply;
Amendment 560 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Notes that the discussion of the 2030 objectives should be based on firm economic analysis of their potential impact by country and by sector; asks the Commission to publish all available data and analysis on the subject in order to identify if there would be an unequal burden on the Member States;
Amendment 571 #
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; 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 each of the Member States;
Amendment 585 #
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 and cost effectively, taking into account environmental impact, total system costs, 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 while avoiding long term subsidies which cause market distortions;
Amendment 587 #
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 and cost effectively, taking into account environmental impact, total system costs, 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 while avoiding long term subsidies which cause market distortions;
Amendment 595 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the Commission and the Member States to integrate the industrial policy and the resource efficiency agendas as comprehensively as possible into all other policies;
Amendment 609 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Asks the Commission to assess the evolution of energy savingsefficiency in the EU;
Amendment 614 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Notes that the current EU energy and climate framework fails to reflect the differences in energy usage between cities and off-grid rural areas; notes that certain energy challenges are more acute in rural areas (poor energy efficiency, energy affordability, high carbon footprint of solid and liquid heating fuels);
Amendment 619 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Calls on the European Commission to develop, as part of the 2030 Energy and Climate Framework, a Rural Energy Strategy, to assess some of the specific issues faced by off-grid energy consumers and provide a set of recommendations to Member States.
Amendment 629 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the importance of an energy strategy focused on boosting energy security and economic and industrial competitiveness in the EU, job creation, 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 alongside increased stable and dispatchable baseload capacity;
Amendment 655 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Commission to perform a 3rd Strategic Energy Review, and to base future European climate commitments on the basis of the updated data;
Amendment 662 #
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; 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 in an efficient and sustainable manner for decentralised and micro-scale energy production and smart energy infrastructures in all Member States; 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 699 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Underlines that high European energy prices do not lead to lower global emissions and instead led to the deterioration of the competitive position of European industry; emphasizes the need to find a way to reduce energy prices while lowering global emissions; stresses that accessibility to affordable energy for all should be a priority for the EU and understood as part of the policy objectives of sustainability, security of supply and competitiveness;
Amendment 714 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Notes that security of electricity supply is a major component of the European security of supply; points out the need for storage and more grid flexibility as a response to the intermittence of some sources of RES; 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 RES;
Amendment 716 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Notes that in order to ensure security of supply there must be enough stable 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, reserve capacities and more grid flexibility as a response to the intermittence of some sources of RES;
Amendment 732 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that some Member States, being energy islands, are still totally isolated from the European gas and electricity networks and continue to pay higher prices for energy, which adversely affects their competitiveness; points out that without substantial infrastructure investment, the commitment of the European Council that no Member State should remain isolated from the EU networks by 2015 cannot be fulfilled for those Member States will be broken; favours in this regard the swift completion of the internal energy market and to prioritise, as agreed in May's European Council, the objective of reaching a degree of interconnection of at least 10% of the capacity installed;
Amendment 750 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses that modernising the existing energy infrastructure and building new, intelligent and flexible infrastructure for the generation, transmission, distribution and storage of energy, for both heat and electricity, 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;
Amendment 800 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Believes that it is necessary to prioritise the need for affordable energy prices to benefit homes, companies and industries. Calls on the Commission to take into account their concerns when adopting new measures in the field of energy and climate change;
Amendment 801 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Notes that carbon leakage does not only apply to emissions from exiting installations but also covers future investment decisions as companies might avoid investing in European based installations; in this context, calls on the Commission, while working on 2030 framework, to eliminate all solutions which can result in energy price increases or in intensification of carbon leakage;
Amendment 817 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Encourages the Commission to support the development of advanced biofuels for the transport sector that improve the quality of fuels thus increasing the overall competitiveness of the European economy without need for additional investments in new infrastructure;
Amendment 846 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Asks the Commission to develop a comprehensive analysis of the overall system costs and effects of different energy sources and their impact on generation adequacy in the long run;
Amendment 854 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes the Commission’s remarks that the EU climate and energy targets impact differently on each Member State and their citizens, and that this justifies working on a more equitable effort sharing basis, taking into account a country’s GDP, achievements in reducing emissions since 1990, emissions per capita, economic potential and potential for renewable and other indigenous energy sources and energy efficiency;
Amendment 855 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes the Commission’s remarks that the EU climate and energy targets impact differently on each Member State and their citizens, and that this justifies working on a more equitable effort sharing basis, taking into account a country’s GDP, achievements in reducing emissions since 1990under Kyoto, emissions per capita, economic potential and potential for renewable and other indigenous energy sources and energy efficiency;
Amendment 869 #
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; believes that any future framework should respect the independence of Member States and not seek to limit this power via administrative regulations, which could prevent the increased use of indigenous energy resources;
Amendment 891 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Notes that access to capital, even for heavy industry sectors, is often a barrier to investment in cleaner technologies; therefore asks the Commission to study the possibility of creating asupporting the creation of national fund that could help to leverage investment, possibly financed by a share of national ETS revenues;
Amendment 912 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Underlines that in the framework of the negotiations on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), talks in the field of energy play and important and integral role;