Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-14-Speech-2-067"
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"en.20060214.6.2-067"2
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"(
) Mr President, Commissioner, heating and cooling accounts for 49% of the energy consumed on our continent. I assume that a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will form part of any responsible energy plan. I firmly believe that, along with the nuclear plants that serve mainly for generating electricity, it is chiefly through the use of renewables for heating and cooling that we will manage to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the future. The less we use fossil fuels for these purposes the better, not only from the standpoint of global climate change, but also from the standpoint of reducing dependence on imports from outside Europe. The use of renewables also has a largely positive influence on the rural economy, which is where the new energy plants will be located, with the creation of new jobs.
This report, which the rapporteur has drawn up on the basis of detailed investigations and discussions, presents a whole raft of strategic measures that must be implemented if we are to overcome the obstacles to greater use of renewables. Speaking as an MEP from the Czech Republic, however, I must state that the position of renewables on the market weakened after accession to the EU because the mandatory bracketing of, for example, briquettes and pellets made from biomass into higher VAT bands led to a sharp decline in a market that had been showing promising signs of development. All of the new Member States are in the same situation. It is paradoxical that the neighbouring states of Germany and Austria have exceptions allowing these products to be bracketed in a lower VAT band. This has brought about a situation where the Czech Republic’s entire output of briquettes and pellets made from biomass is exported to these countries. At the same time, our domestic market is seeing an increase in energy costs and, rather than switching to renewables, people are instead opting for cheaper energy sources, which in our case often means low-grade brown coal.
I therefore strongly endorse the call from the Commission and the Council for a revision of the Sixth Council Directive, allowing the implementation of lower VAT rates for renewables. We can and must do this at European level. I support the report and I would like to thank the rapporteur for doing a good job. I should also like to say that this offers a promising way forward for the Commission and the individual Member States."@en1
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