MEPs vote on Strategic Energy Technology Plan
Date: 11-07-2008

MEPs have adopted a new report which outlines recommendations on how the EU can strengthen the European Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan and help the EU to meet its climate change targets.

For Jerzy Buzek MEP, rapporteur and member of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee and the Temporary Committee on Climate Change of the European Parliament, the report offers a realistic, sustainable solution to the challenge of climate change. He believes that it not only recognises the need to reduce carbon emissions but also recognises the need to maintain the EU's competitiveness in global markets.

The report was passed by the European Parliament in a vote of 596 in favour, to 85 against, with just 14 abstentions.

'The EU needs to reach its objectives in the reduction of CO2 emissions and renewable energy while maintaining its economic competitiveness in global markets,' commented Mr Buzek. 'Therefore I propose incentives for low cost, low emission energy technologies and support from the EU budget.'

The EU has set itself targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020, and by 2050 it hopes to reduce emissions by 60 to 80%.

The report aims to achieve this ambitious goal by setting out a plan on what the energy agenda for Europe should be. The agenda includes promoting research into new, clean energy technologies which the parliament views as crucial to successfully fighting climate change.

Such technologies also have the added benefit of not only helping Europe achieve its targets on greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency, but also in securing Europe's energy supply in the future.

'Energy security is very important for Europe, as well as lower cost ecological energy,' added Mr Buzek. 'Current challenges of preventing further global warming and the cost of CO2 emissions represent additional financial burden to our economies. Thus emissions need to be reduced to bring down the costs. The key to this is the development of low emission technologies.'

Taking centre stage in the report is a commitment to promote energy efficiency. According to the report, this is where the greatest potential for CO2 reductions are to be found. Specifically, the report describes it as 'the area with the most potential for cost effective emission reductions in the medium term'.

Biofuels, which have been under increasing scrutiny recently, are also mentioned in the report, which calls for increased research in this area. This research would determine once and for all the overall environmental impact of the production of those fuels.

Another example of the EU's commitment to new technologies is the recommendation to support the creation of up to 12 proposed Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) demonstration projects. The report also notes that support for clean coal technologies, such as coal to gas conversion, 'will make it easier and cheaper to deploy CCS with the possibility of making it mandatory in the future'.

Parliament however made it clear that the SET Plan should not be financed through the reallocation of funds made available for energy under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP). Instead they stressed to the Commission that alternative funding be allocated for the support of new low carbon and zero carbon technology research and development, demonstration and commercialisation activities.

For more information on the SET Plan, please visit: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/res/setplan/communication_2007_en.htm
European Parliament: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/