Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-16-Speech-2-080"
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"en.19991116.5.2-080"2
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"Mr President, firstly I would like to thank and congratulate Mr Chichester on his positive and constructive report on the communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament on strengthening environmental integration within Community energy policy. I would also like to thank all the Members of Parliament who have participated in this debate for their constructive and positive contributions.
And to sum up, Mr President, several speakers have referred to a broader debate which would take into account all the issues, not only demand and environmental issues but also the question of energy sources and energy dependency based on the forecasts. Undoubtedly, this is a debate which we will have to lend all our attention to, and I hope that, throughout the coming months and, of course, before the end of this Commission’s mandate, we will be able to fully develop it, transparently, intensely and effectively in the discussions, as has been the case with the discussion of this report.
At the Helsinki Summit, which will take place in December, the Heads of Government will deal with the issue of environmental integration and sustainable development in different policy areas, and especially energy. Therefore today’s debate is particularly appropriate.
Firstly, I would like to point out that it is precisely the energy sector which has been the first to draw up a communication on environmental integration in its policy. This reflects the significant role which it has to play given the environmental challenges which face us. The energy sector has made a substantial contribution to improving air quality on a local and regional level as compared to previous practices. The directive on large combustion plants with regard to the reduction of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and the Auto Oil programme to deal with the problem of air quality in cities, are good examples.
I would like to highlight the existing cooperation between the energy and environmental sectors. This confirms that there are ways of strengthening integration and, as a result, establish environmental quality standards at a cost which will not affect European competitiveness, which is an issue that should always be taken into account.
This cooperation is particularly important in the light of the challenge presented by climate change. Energy continues to occupy a significant place in the preparation of international negotiations for the application of the Kyoto Protocol. As a whole, the Commission receives the opinions of Parliament very favourably. The insistence on the need to influence the instincts of the people and the habits of the consumer and to establish channels of communication with the citizens and small and medium-sized businesses confirms the importance which political leadership will have with regard to changing our consumer habits and promoting sustainable development. As I often point out, we have to start by providing an example, by way of public facilities and public buildings, and by way of the public sector and the institutions, of how energy can be used in a more efficient and rational way.
Technology will play an important role, but the establishment of new and more demanding environmental standards will depend on the support of the citizens. The search for cleaner and more viable technologies is one of the Commission’s main ambitions. The resolution of Parliament reminds all of us of the external dimension, that is to say, the process of enlargement and relations with non-EU countries, especially the developing countries; it requires that we adopt a realistic, balanced and flexible approach to the development of policies, which is especially important when it comes to examining the combination of energy sources and its evolution over time.
The Commission agrees with Parliament that it is necessary to adopt a broad approach in order to promote the use of energy sources with low carbon content in order to satisfy demand. In our programmes, we insist on renewable energy and energy efficiency. These demand policies are a central pillar of our sustainable approach to energy policy aimed at addressing the major environmental concerns of our citizens.
Parliament also requests that we attend to the sector which has not received all the attention it deserves. That is to say the development of the capacity to separate and store CO2, which is an option which should be studied in depth.
In conclusion, Mr President, we receive this resolution favourably. It reminds us of the true definition of a form of development which can be maintained over time; a sustainable development. The human dimension of our policies should also be borne in mind. And we must carefully analyse the economic and social consequences of our political decisions in the energy and environment sectors."@en1
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