Activities of Soledad CABEZÓN RUIZ related to 2015/2232(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Implementation report on the Energy Efficiency Directive (A8-0199/2016 - Markus Pieper) ES
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU)
Amendments (30)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that energy efficiency as first fuel is crucial to achieving our climate targets and fostering our transition towards a more sustainable energy system, to making energy more affordable for consumers, to generating net employment generation and to reducing our dependence on energy imports;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that common efforts by the EU will help to create a common market for goods and services that help to save energy, which will bring down costs for consumers and empower them, will create a more level playing field for industry; welcomes the fact that energy audits and energy management schemes under Article 8 are helping to make EU companies more competitive; calls for the implementation of cost-effective energy audit recommendations to be required in conjunction with planned maintenance, with additional incentives provided where necessary, and for Article 8 to be extended to cover all companies with high energy consumption;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Energy Efficiency Directive only inadequately implemented – savings targets achieved nonetheless
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 a (new)
Subheading 1 a (new)
Deplores the fact that one of the main conclusions of the review of the directive is that efficiency gains are largely attributable to the economic crisis and are thus a result of lower energy consumption rather than a clear energy efficiency policy;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 b (new)
Subheading 1 b (new)
Is appalled and concerned that, at the current rate of progress, it is far from sure that the 20% target will be met by 2020;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 c (new)
Subheading 1 c (new)
Is concerned that falls in fossil fuel prices could put a brake on decarbonisation and energy efficiency policies;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the very unambitious target of at least 27 % for improving energy efficiency in 2030 adopted by the European Council in 2014, whichin contrast to the binding target of 40 % implemented by means of individual national targets adopted by the European Parliament; notes that the 27% is mainly justified by an extremely unrealistic high discount rate in a previous impact assessment; recalls that the discount rate of 17.5 % is higher than the discount rate for energy investment in Iraq (15 %)1; calls on the Commission to move to comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and a social discount rate, in line with its own Better Regulation guidelines; __________________ 1 Friends of the Earth Europe (2015): Battle of the Discount Rates https://www.foeeurope.org/sites/default/files/energy _savings/2015/battle-discount-rates.pdf
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that a high discount rate would reflect the unrealistic assumption that cost- efficient investments in energy efficiency will not happen because of a number of obstacles, whereas it is the duty of political actors to overcome obstacles to such investments; also notes that the current high discount rate presumes that energy efficiency is achieved only through individual actions, overlooking the fact that the role of public bodies is key to driving energy efficiency improvements, particularly in buildings; in this respect, calls for the extension of Article 5 to cover all public bodies and include the adoption of best practice on financial support mechanisms;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that buildings account for 40% of energy use in the EU, and that improving the energy efficiency of buildings is therefore of prime importance in reducing CO2 emissions and improving energy security, as well as ending energy poverty and improving health;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Believes that the measures for energy- efficient renovation of existing buildings need to be prioritised among the most energy-poor; calls on the Commission to propose a target to improve the efficiency of residential building stock, alongside future minimum efficiency standards for rented housing in the context of the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Calls for Member State renovation road maps in Article 4 to follow mandatory templates and to include intermediate 5 year targets towards a goal of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) by 2050, as will become necessary to meet the goals of the COP21 Paris Agreement;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Agrees with the Commission that lower fuel prices and the prospects of economic growth could further endanger the achievement of the 20% target; calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance the monitoring, verification, control and compliance regime to ensure the right level of ambition;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Insists that loopholes in the existing Directive, especially in Article 7, must be eliminated, while keeping flexibility for the Member States to choose among the measures; notes in particular that phasing in and early actions under Article 7(2) are no longer relevant and that the 25% flexibility has diminished the effectiveness of the 1.5% p.a. energy savings requirement; insists that alternative measures under article 7(9) must be tightly defined and easy to quantify; recalls that Article 7 is expected to deliver more than half of the 20% target set by the Directive;
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Proposes that the title of Article 7 be changed to ‘energy saving support schemes’ because there i'Saving energy through energy efficiency obligation and support schemes' in order to emphasise the need for Member States nto obligation to save energy for consumers and SMEs, but an obligation for Member States and/or utilities to give incentivhelp consumers, including SMEs, to save energy and reduce their energy costs, by means of energy obligation schemes and other measures;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on Member States to include a provision for a significant minimum percentage of measures in energy efficiency obligation schemes to target low-income consumers;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Regrets the low contribution of transport to the energy savings, with a percentage of only 3% within the overall sectoral split of savings, despite the stabilisation of passenger traffic and the fall in freight traffic between 2005-2013 due to the economic crisis; calls on Member states to increase the number of measures targeting the transport sector;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Notes that energy efficiency requirements in public procurement are not fully understood by all procurement agents; calls on the Commission to provide clearer guidelines to facilitate compliance with Article 6 of the EED and a better integration into the wider EU rules on public procurement;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is concerned that European electricity prices for medium-sized industrial and business customers and private consumers are among the highest in the world; is also worried that indirect taxes constitute 50% of energy bills in the EU, which makes it difficult to pass on cost savings to consumers and may constitute a further barrier to energy access for the most vulnerable in society;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines that 85% of the energy consumption within a building is required for space cooling and heating and domestic hot water and that it is therefore necessary to accelerate de modernisation for old and inefficient heating and cooling system in Europe in order to deliver at least 20% energy efficiency gains with available technologies, including renewable heating and cooling systems;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Welcomes the fact that energy audits and energy Article 8 are helping to make EU companies more competitive; calls for the implementation of cost-effective energy audit recommendations to be required in conjunction with planned maintenance, with additional incentives provided where necessary, and for Article 8 to be extended to cover all companies with high energy consumption;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Notes that the current high discount rate presumes that energy efficiency is achieved only through individual actions, overlooking the fact that the role of public bodies is key to driving energy efficiency improvements, particularly in buildings; in this respect, calls for the extension of Article 5 to cover all public bodies and include the adoption of best practice on financial support mechanisms;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Believes that the measures for energy efficiency renovation of existing buildings need to be prioritised among the most energy-poor; calls on the Commission to propose a target to improve the efficiency of residential buildings stock, alongside future minimum efficiency standards for rented housing in the context of the revision for the Energy Efficiency Directive;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 d (new)
Paragraph 17 d (new)
17d. Agrees with the Commission that lower fuel prices and the prospect of economic growth could further endanger the achievement of the 20% target; calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance the monitoring verification, control and compliance regime to ensure the right level of ambition;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 e (new)
Paragraph 17 e (new)
17e. Notes in particular that phasing in and early actions under Article 7(2) are no longer relevant and that the 25% flexibility has diminished the effectiveness of the 1.5% p.a. energy savings requirement; insists that alternative measures under article 7(9) must be tightly defined and easy to quantify; recalls that Article 7 is expected to deliver more than half of the 20% target set by the Directive;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Proposes that the title of Article 7 be changed to ‘saving energy through energy efficiency obligation and support schemes’ in order to emphasise the need for Member States to help consumers including SMEs, to save energy and reduce their energy cost, by means of energy obligation schemes and other measures;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls for serious consideration to be paid to energy efficiency policy in the transport sector, which is not included in ETS, and whose efforts should go far beyond emissions control systems; considers that the necessary promotion of electric vehicles would show a clear willingness in this regard; adds that the contribution of this sector should also be considered in Article 7;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Calls on Member States to include a provision for a significant minimum percentage of measures in energy efficiency obligation schemes to target low-income consumers;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Calls for all public authorities to include energy efficiency requirements in public procurement contracts;
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls for the necessary resources to be set aside to training those responsible for installing equipment to ensure a high- level of quality in renovations;