Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-12-Speech-1-135"
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"en.20051212.17.1-135"2
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".
Mr President, over the past few months energy issues have grabbed the headlines. We have seen the debate on the north European gas pipeline. We have also had headlines on the transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia concerning gas supplies. There has been an accident at a depot storing oil products near London. These issues usually grab the headlines. Energy efficiency is now attracting attention but has not yet made the front page.
I would like to invite Parliament now to support the compromise package which reflects important changes that the rapporteur, together with the shadow rapporteurs, has achieved during a long and difficult process. Although, given the challenge to Parliament and also the Council, it was not so long, it was a very difficult compromise. But, at the end of the day, there were very fruitful negotiations, and I think the proposal, as it stands now, is perhaps even better than the initial proposal.
I would again like to thank the rapporteurs for this achievement. Now we need to deliver from the Commission side and also from the Member States’ side.
However, there are indirect indications that the policies the European Parliament and the Member States are pursuing are producing results. I shall mention just two examples that are encouraging. Firstly, China has started to use the target approach: it aims to decrease its energy intensity by 20% by 2010. That is not a huge step, but it is the same target-based approach. It is ambitious, but perhaps it could be even more ambitious.
Secondly, I am encouraged by the reaction of the OPEC countries on the oil price forecast for the near future. They forecast strong growth in consumption in the United States and China. They have avoided mentioning Europe. So, from their point of view, Europe is doing reasonably well. However, we must not be complacent. This directive is really necessary.
I would also like to make a few comments on what has been said. I am really grateful to both representatives from the new Member States, Mrs Herczog and Mr Jordan Cizelj, because the biggest difficulty we had in the Council was with the new Member States. That was paradoxical because the issue had been seen as perhaps an obstacle to growth. In fact, it is the opposite: it gives a chance for growth. I will continue to explain to the new Member States that they do not in fact need to consume a lot of energy per capita, and can even now gain the benefits.
I agree with Mr Reul that this is a huge opportunity, and we should use it. I agree with Mr Guidoni that perhaps we could be more ambitious in the air transport sector, but it is there in the directive, and this will also provide an opportunity to deal with energy efficiency in that sector.
Concerning the Danish example, I believe that, in this directive, all other Member States will follow because the suspicion will not be there. I think that industry will discover that its profits will not decrease because of energy efficiency being in place – indeed, perhaps the opposite, as it provides new chances for growth in that sector as well.
I believe that metering and billing are important because transparency will make a real difference to the consumer. We need to change not only the approach of the supplier but that of the consumer. That could be done through clear, transparent and correct information. Only then will the consumer start to change. The directive also takes into account the initial situation on energy efficiency. We will not punish the countries that started earlier. They could use this for achieving the target. But at the same time, I think that, with the development of new technologies, there will be a huge opportunity for energy savings and energy efficiency even in the most progressive countries. The strange thing is that the country that had been supporting mandatory targets was Denmark – from which, in other circumstances, we could have expected bigger opposition – and the countries that have done most in terms of end-use potential said that they had no particular difficulties with mandatory targets. So, by doing, you learn something.
I think that the energy services market is extremely important. It gives opportunities not only for energy efficiency, but for employment and growth in the Union.
With this recommendation amending the text of the common position, we are very close to finalising the legislative process on the energy end-use efficiency and energy services proposal. I am pleased to confirm that the Commission can accept the outcome of the compromise between Parliament and the Council."@en1
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