16 Amendments of Carolina PUNSET related to 2016/0030(COD)
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Natural gas (gas) remainis an essential component of the energy supply of the Union. A large proportion of such gas is imported into the Union from third countrThis makes security of gas supply a key element of the Union's overall energy security, with relevance to the Union's competitiveness and growth. Even though more than 50 % of gas consumption in the Union and the rest of the European Economic Area is currently covered by domestic production, a growing proportion of gas is imported from third countries. Enhancing the Union's energy security and making its gas market more resilient thus requires creating a stable, market-based regulatory framework for developing gas production from domestic sources, increasing energy efficiency as well as addressing by diversification of suppliers dependence on dominant external suppliers.
Amendment 144 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) A major disruption of the gas supply can affect all Member States, the Union as a whole and Contracting Parties to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community, signed in Athens on 25 October 2005. It can also severelypotentially under certain circumstances damage the Union economy and can have a major social impact, particularly on vulnerable groups of customers.
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The Commission Communication 'Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy'14 from February 2015, highlights the fact that the Energy Union rests on solidarity and trust, which are necessary features of energy security. This regulation should aim to boost solidarity and trust between the Member States and should put in place the measures needed to achieve these aims, thus paving the way forcontributing to implementing the Energy Union. __________________ 14 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank, COM(2015) 80 final.
Amendment 175 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) The Union and the Member States should aim at diversification of energy sources, supply routes and suppliers fully in line with the EU law and policies and thus avoid projects which, while maybe addressing the interests of some Member States, have negative implications on energy security of other Member States, the Union and its partners. Projects not meeting these objectives should not be financed by the EU.
Amendment 181 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In a spirit of respect to market economy principles, solidarity, regional cooperation, which involvinges both public authorities and natural gas undertakings, should be is the guiding principle of this Regulation, towith the aim of identifying the relevant risks in each region and, optimiseing the benefits of coordinated measures to mitigate them and to implement the most cost-effective measures for Union consumer, while ensuring that the measures are cost-effective for customers. Regional cooperation should gradually be complemented with a stronger Union perspective, allowing recourse to all available supplies and tools in the entire internal gas market. This could be facilitated by providing in-depth analysis and forecast at Union level on the relevant current and future Emergency Supply Corridors, based on gas supply sources common for a group of Member States.
Amendment 203 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) Regulation (EU) No 994/2010 requires transmission system operators to enable permanent bi-directional capacity on all cross-border interconnections unless an exemption has been granted from this obligation. It aims to ensure that the possible benefits of permanent bi- directional capacity are always taken into account when a new interconnector is planned. However, bi-directional capacity can be used to supply gas both to the neighbouring Member State and to others along the gas supply corridor. The benefits for security of supply of enabling permanent bi-directional capacity thus need to be seen in a broader perspective, in a spirit of solidarity and enhanced cooperation. A cost-benefit analysis that takes account of the whole transportation corridor should therefore be conducted when considering whether to implement bi- directional capacity. The competent authorities should accordingly be required to re- examine the exemptions granted under Regulation (EU) 994/2010 on the basis of the results of the regional risk assessments. The overall objective should be to have a growing bi-directional capacity and keep one-directional capacity future cross- border projects to the minimum.
Amendment 214 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) A regional approach to assessing risks and defining and adopting preventive and mitigating measures enables efforts to be coordinated, bringing significant benefits in terms of the effectiveness of measures and optimisation of resources. This applies particularly to measures designed to guarantee a continued supply, under very demanding conditions, to protected customers, and to measures to mitigate the impact of an emergency. Assessing correlated risks at regional level, which is both more comprehensive and more precise, will ensure that Member States are better prepared for any crises. Moreover, in an emergency, a coordinated and pre-agreed approach to security of supply ensures a consistent response and reduces the risk of negative spill-over effects that purely national measures could have in neighbouring Member States. Responsibility of the Member States for their national security of supply standards should however not be impeded by taking the regional approach.
Amendment 231 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) For the purpose of this Regulation, the following criteria should therefore be taken into account when defining the regional groups: supply patterns, existing and planned corridors, interconnections and interconnection capacity between Member States, market development and maturity, existing regional cooperation structures, and the number of Member States in a region, which should be limited to ensure that the group remains of a manageable size.
Amendment 243 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) When conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to be prepared at regional level, competent authorities should assess natural, technological, infrastructural, commercial, financial, social, political and market- related risks, and any other relevant ones, including, where appropriate, the disruption of the supplies from the single largest supplier. All risks should be addressed by effective, proportionate and non-discriminatory measures to be developed in the preventive action plan and the emergency plan. These plans should be subject to a consultation process with the industry. The competent authorities should consider also the opportunities offered by decentralized, sustainable and affordable solutions, including biogas, as well as the EU-wide energy efficiency targets. The results of the risk assessments should also contribute to the all hazard risk assessments foreseen under article 6 of Decision No 1313/2013/EU18 . __________________ 18 Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 24).
Amendment 348 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – subparagraph 2 – point 1 – introductory part
Article 2 – subparagraph 2 – point 1 – introductory part
(1) 'protected customer’' means a household customer connected to a gas distribution network and, in addition, where the Member State concerned so decides, may also mean one or more of the following:, an essential social service or a district heating installation to the extent that it delivers heating to household customers and essential social services, which is connected to a gas distribution network;
Amendment 358 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – subparagraph 2 – point 1 – point a
Article 2 – subparagraph 2 – point 1 – point a
(a) a small or medium-sized enterprise, provided that it is connected to a gas distribution network, or an essential social service, provided that it is connected to a gas distribution orand transmission network, and provided that such enterprises or services do not represent jointly more than 20 % of the total annual final gas consumption in that Member State;installation is not able to switch to other fuels, or an absolutely essential social service.
Amendment 419 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Article 4 – paragraph 6
6. In so far as an investment for enabling or enhancing permanent bi- directional capacity is not required by the market and where that investment incurs costs in more than one Member State or in one Member State for the benefit of another Member State, the national regulatory authorities of all Member States concerned shall jointly decide on cost allocation before any investment decision is taken and explore the possibility and viability of EU funding. The cost allocation shall in particular take into account the proportion of the benefits of the infrastructure investments for the increase of security of supply of the Member States concerned as well as investments already made in the infrastructure in question.
Amendment 439 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
No later than 31 March 2017 Member States shall notify the Commission their definitionlist of protected customers, the annual gas consumption volumes of the protected customers and the percentage they represent of the total annual final gas consumption in that Member State. Where a Member State includes in its definitionlist of protected customers the categories referred to in point (a) or (b) of Article 2 (1) it shall specify in the notification to the Commission the gas consumption volumes corresponding to consumers belonging to those categories and the percentage that each of those groups of consumers represents in terms of the annual final use of gas.
Amendment 468 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The competent authorities of each region as listed in Annex I shall jointly and in consultation with relevant stakeholders make an assessment at regional level of all risks affecting the security of gas supply. The assessment shall take into account all relevant risks such as natural disasters, technological, commercial, social, political and other risks. The risk assessment shall be carried out by:
Amendment 492 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. The Commission may share experience gained in conducting a risk assessment in one region with other regions, wherever appropriate, and thereby contribute to ensuring also a cross regional focus.
Amendment 588 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) assessment of opportunities offered by decentralized, sustainable and affordable solutions, including biogas, as well as the EU-wide energy efficiency targets.