47 Amendments of Henna VIRKKUNEN related to 2016/2041(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU as a whole is well on track to reach the 2020 targets for renewables but further action is required in severalome Member States;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas according to article 194 TFEU, the European energy policy shall ensure the functioning of the energy market, ensure security of energy supply, promote energy efficiency and savings and the development of renewable energy and promote the interconnection of energy networks;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the transition towards a sustainable, forward-looking energy system must include efforts for energy efficiency, renewable energy, best use of Europe's energy resources and smart infrastructure; whereas a long-term stable regulatory framework is needed to create economic growth and jobs and ensure the EU's leading role in these areas;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the EU imports more than half of all the energy it consumes, its import dependency is particularly high for crude oil, natural gas and hard coal, and the total import bill is more than EUR 400 billion in 2013; therefore making Europe a leader in renewables is an important factor towards achieving energy independence;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the development of renewable energy should coincide with the development of a well-functioning internal electricity market that ensures a level playing field for all participants in the market;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas investment in renewables requires a long-term framework consistent with the EU’s 2050 climate commitments; and holds great potential for creation of jobs and growth in Europe;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas public participation and supervision, clear policy guidelines at regional, national and European level and the engagement of social partntakeholders are key to the successful development of renewable energy;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas renewable energy offers an opportunity for greater energy democracyinvolvement of stakeholders and consumers directly in the energy system through collective management, public investment schemes and decentralised forms of energy production;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses its concern at the large number of countries (Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom) which may have to revise their policisatisfaction with the progress made towards the EU target whereby renewables andre tools to ensure they meet their 2020 objectives; notes that one Member State has already failed to achieve the 2013-2014 interim targets account for 20% of gross final energy consumption by 2020;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recognises that Member States are generally well on track to reach both the intermediate and the 2020-targets; calls for some Member States to adjust their policies and tools to ensure they meet their 2020 objectives;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the need to identifyin this respect the importance of identifying and sharing best practices in terms of national renewable energy policies and to promote their adoption; calls on the Commission to strengthen its role in monitoring and supporting the progress of renewable energies;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recognises that the determination of the energy mix of Member States remains a national competence, and therefore energy mixes remain highly diversified;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the Commission to include an evaluation of renewables' impact on cost and prices, especially households prices, in the future renewable energy progress reports;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the fact that the national regulationincreased convergence of electricity markets is a key factor in the divergingcould facilitate advancements of renewables, differentlower energy costs for families and for industry and differentlower levels of energy dependency;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the role of renewable support schemes in attracting long-term investment and consolidating the renewable sector; rejects the retroactive eliminatiostresses the need for stable and investor- friendly renewable support schemes in line with the European Commission Guidance on the design of renewable energy support schemes in order to avoid potential market distortion;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes that a number of renewable energy technologies are rapidly becoming cost-competitive for electricity generation with conventional forms of generation; stresses that such efforts must be continued with the aim of making renewables competitive on market terms and gradually phasing out subsidies for mature renewables technologies;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls Parliament’'s target of 85 % of financing for non-fossil energy under the energy chapter of Horizon 2020; calls for public national investments of this kind to be exempted from deficit ruin this respect on the European Commission to further facilitate the effective use of all existing EU funding schemes, including the European Fund for Strategic Investments, so as to attract investment for key energy infrastructure projects, research and innovation in renewables, including for effective technologies for energy storage, and the development of Europe's internal capacities to enable better uptake of renewables;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that support schemes at all levels should be focused on technologies with great potential for reducing costs of renewables and(/or) increasing market uptake of renewables;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the need for an integrated approach toincreased cooperation and coordination within and between Member States and regions including around support schemes to EU criteria; calls as well for enhanced coordination of public investments and credit in technical improvement, national development plans, grid adaptation, storage, energy efficiency and new forms of energy production to avoid potential bottlenecks and ensure sufficient grid capacity;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the strengthening of transparency and public participation, with particular regard to social partners, in the development of national plans for renewable energy;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the importance of local administrations and associations, like the Covenant of Mayorinvolvement of all levels of administration, both local, regional, macro-regional and national levels, in the increased implementation of a renewables-based model of in the European energy consumption;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the preliminary findings from the REFIT evaluation that Renewable Energy Targets have been a key driver for the development of renewable energy capacity; stresses in this regard that efforts for better regulation and reduction of red tape should be intensified and suggests better use of existing tools, e.g. through digitalisation of tender procedures and speedier permit procedures;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates Parliament’s call for binding targets of a 30the European Council's commitment of October 2014 to reach at least 27 % share of renewable energy consumption and 40 % in energy savings for 2030;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that Member States should justify thmake use of provisions for statistical transfers and the development of cooperation mechanisms to meet their targets on the basis of feasibility constraints with regard to developing renewables, so as to ensure, in accordance with the provisions of the Renewable Energy Directive art. 6, , so as to ensure that transition to renewables is done in a cost-efficient manner and that national targets are actually bindingeffectuated;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Highlights the need to define a regulatory strategy that allows for the monitoring of Member States’' commitments while allowing for full democratic control and scrutiny of energy policiestransparency of energy policies with due respect for the national competences to determine energy mix;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses the importance of the EU energy network and the completion of the 10% interconnection target; recalls in this respect the importance of public consultation and participation in the planning of new energy infrastructure projects, in particular as regards new interconnections; underlines in this regard that increased regional cooperation can contribute to enhancing energy security, improve infrastructure planning, ensure cost optimisation of integrating renewables and drive down costs for consumers;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes the gap between available skills and the changes in labour market demands adapted to the development of renewables; stresses the importance of social partners and, industry and employers as well as public authorities in developing skill schemes and training programmes to ensure that the adjustment to new technologies and patterns of energy production is a source of quality jobs;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Highlights the need for a differential treatment between micro, small and large producers; stresses the importance of ensuring financial and administrative facilitieimportance of ensuring non-discriminatory conditions and suitable tools for ‘'prosumers’' (households, micro and small businesses, cooperatives, public administrations and non-commercial entities that engage in energy production) to contribute to energy transition;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses the need to strike aallow the market to balance between the development of centralised and decentralised energy production that ensures that consumers that, who cannot afford to become ‘'prosumers’', are not discriminated against; stresses the need to provide technical and administrative facilities for the collective management of energy production;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses that renewable electricity production should be better integrated with the electric distribution and transmission systems, considering the changes towards a more decentralised model for energy to take into account the market;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the Commission’'s strategy to increase demand-response mechanisms; stresses that this should not create an additional financial burden for citizens;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights that stabilityconsumers should be empowered and have the right in cenergy prices is necessary to induce the adequate demand responsestives to participate in all relevant markets in order to induce the adequate demand responses from consumers and thereby the necessary flexibility from consumers;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Highlights that ‘'prosumers’' should be allowed to access the energy grid and market at a fair price and should not be penalised with additional taxes or charges; expresses itswhich shall concvern atll the initiatives taken by some Member States to create obstacles to the exercise of the rights to self-consumption and self- productioncosts affecting the network;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Regrets the lack of progress and low targets set for renewable use in heating and cooling; Stresses the great potential for continued progress for renewable use in heating and cooling; recognises the benefits of increasing renewable energy in the heating and cooling sector, in particular in buildings; stresses the increased flexibility of thermal infrastructure and storage in facilitating the integration of intermittent renewable sources by storing energy in the form of heat;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Welcomes the Commission communication on heating and cooling from February 2016; reiterates in this relation that efforts in the heating and cooling sector hold a great potential for increased energy security (given that 61 % of gas imported into the European Union is used in buildings, mainly for heating purposes) e.g. through the development of district heating/cooling networks which are an proficient means of integrating sustainable heat into cities on a large scale since they can simultaneously deliver heat derived from a range of sources and are not inherently dependent on any one source;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Calls for further measures to exploit the remaining significant potential of renewable energy in the heating and cooling sectors to fully achieve the 2020 goals; calls on the European Commission to bridge regulatory gaps in those sectors in the post-2020 renewables legislative package;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses the need to facilitate a transition towards renewable heating devices, while ensuring adequate financial support for energy-poor citizens;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Notes the failure of theat the target of 10% renewables by 2020 in the transport sector is significantly lacking behind, partly due to the challenges for a biofuel-based renewable strategy for transport;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Estimates that transport represents over 30 % of final energy consumption in Europe and that 94 % of transport relies on oil products; considers, therefore, that an effort for increased use of renewables in the transport sector must be ambitious, with a clear link to the decarbonisation of the transport sector;
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Stresses that combining measures to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, and develop innovative energy technologies, is of crucial importance to efforts to achieve an environmentally sustainable energy mix for European transport systems; considers that the use of varied renewable energy sources should be encouraged, including liquefied natural gas for heavy load vehicles and in the maritime sector;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 c (new)
Paragraph 28 c (new)
28c. Awaits the European Commission's strategy in June 2016 for decarbonisation of the transport sector and stresses in this respect that increased uptake of renewables must be promoted to ensure that transport contributes actively to reach the 2020-targets;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 d (new)
Paragraph 28 d (new)
28d. Welcomes the progress made in developing new biofuels and engines by the projects completed under EU JU Clean Sky;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Stresses the need for a shift from liberalisation tointermodality and modal shift in the transport sector to accommodate sustainable mobility regulation, including sustainable logistic systems and sustainable urban policies that minimise overalladdress the energy consumption in transport; to renewable sources and/or minimise overall energy consumption;