B7-0148/2010

Results of vote in Parliament

O-0015/2010

O-0016/2010

COM(2009)0519

Debate in Parliament

Following the debate which took place during the sitting of 11 March 2010, the European Parliament adopted by 444 votes to 88 with 32 abstentions a resolution on investing in the development of low carbon technologies (SET-Plan) in response to the Commission communication on the subject.

The resolution was tabled by S&D, ALDE and Greens/EFA groups.

It welcomes the SET Plan, stressing that without this new approach the EU will not meet its energy and climate goals for 2020. These include a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, and by 30% in the event of an international agreement, reducing the use of primary energy compared with projected levels by 20% and reaching a figure of at least 20% of energy produced from renewable sources by 2020. Furthermore, in the light of the economic crisis, investing in those new technologies that have the greatest potential for job creation should be a priority, and will create new markets and new revenue.

Members believe that funding needs for the implementation of the SET-Plan can only be met if additional public and private resources are made available and that the SET-Plan is only credible if new money is reallocated to it from the EU budget , and they call on both public and private stakeholders to allocate immediately additional resources to the implementation of the agreed roadmaps. The major part has to come from the private sector with a substantive increase in the portion of public investment both at EU and at national level. Parliament reiterates its request to ensure adequate financing to low carbon energy technologies, which amounts in total to at least EUR 2 billion per annum of the EU budget being spent in addition to FP7 and CIP from 2010 onwards. It calls for the urgent establishment of a funding timetable by the Commission and the Member States of the resources they will commit to ensure that funds start flowing from 2010. Furthermore, the Council and the Commission are asked to take advantage of the debate on the mid-term review of the financial perspectives and in order to align better the current and future EU budgets with EU policy priorities, notably as regards research, climate action and security of energy supply. Parliament considers it absolutely necessary to rapidly use the EUR 300 million allowances set aside from the New Entrants Reserve of the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) to support carbon capture and storage and innovative renewable sources of energy, and it urges the European Investment Bank (EIB) to align its lending criteria with eligible innovative renewable installations. It calls on the EIB to consider with adequate priority those projects that will realistically enhance the viability of sustainable low carbon technology demonstration (e.g. the development of smart grids and mini hydro facilities). It also asks the Commission, in close cooperation with the EIB, to come forward without delay, and by 2011 at the latest, with a comprehensive proposal for an instrument to finance renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and smart grids development.

On research, Members stress that the capacity of the EU research base needs to be enlarged and that further education and training is essential to provide the quantity and quality of human resources required to take full advantage of the new technology opportunities opening up. There is a need to create the right conditions and a stable and favourable regulatory framework to support the establishment of public-private partnerships, which are a pre-requisite for implementing the SET-Plan and the European Industrial Initiatives (EIIs). The Commission is asked to ensure that technology manufacturers can apply directly for SET-Plan funding, not just as members of consortia with energy utilities as is the case for the economic recovery programme and the NER300.

Parliament goes on to underline that access to public grants and loans, including funding under the SET-Plan, must be designed in an SME-friendly manner, and wants a very significant share of the EU funding available under the SET-Plan to be earmarked for SMEs .

It reminds the Commission of its reporting obligations under the Energy Recovery Plan Regulation and its undertaking to make additional proposals that would allow funding for projects in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources if money remains after the call for proposals. Members note that EUR 50 million are uncommitted, and expect EUR 116.19 million of uncommitted money to be available for such projects.

The resolution asks the Commission and Member States, as appropriate, to do the following:

foster international cooperation with other key strategic partners in developed, emerging and developing countries in the field of the development, deployment and diffusion of sustainable low carbon energy technologies, notably through funds such as GEEREF, which focuses on small-scale projects; promote world-wide carbon emission trading to create a stable and fair competitive environment for the development and deployment of sustainable low carbon technologies; monitor the effective implementation of the SET-Plan, to introduce an accompanying evaluation system for this purpose, to assess any obstacles encountered in implementing the roadmaps and to inform Parliament regularly on the progress made on implementing the SET-Plan and its roadmaps; further explore and disseminate innovative approaches to urban planning and development, especially integrated urban planning that meets the needs for strengthened social inclusion, territorial cohesion, and strong deployment of sustainable energy and clean transport in order to build resilient urban systems; come forward with complementary initiatives to exploit the great potential of other technological avenues mentioned in its Communication on Investing in the Development of Low-Carbon Technologies (SET-Plan) of 7 October 2009, as well as of salinity gradients and geothermal energy, and additional resources must be made available from the EU budget in order to finance these.

Lastly, Parliament invites the SET-Plan Steering Group to report to the European Parliament once a year and to envisage a wider structure of expertise by creating technical working groups in the areas of interest in order to involve a larger number of stakeholders in the discussion and decision process.

T7-0064/2010

B7-0011/2010

B7-0012/2010

The Council held an exchange of views on key objectives for establishing the principles for a new ambitious industrial policy with a continuing focus on sustainable growth and employment. At the end of the debate, the Council adopted conclusions on the subject.

In its conclusions, the Council stresses, among other things, that the successful transition to a competitive and eco-efficient economy and the implementation of a sustainable industrial policy should improve competitiveness and turn environmental challenges into business opportunities and high-quality jobs, and that, in this context, emphasis ought to be given to resource and energy efficiency, in particular by the development, deployment and support for a wide take-up of safe and sustainable low greenhouse-gas-emitting technologies, especially renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The Council also stresses for more and more efficient R&D investment in and the commercialisation and adoption of low-carbon and clean technologies which are safe and sustainable, as well as the need to keep implementing and strengthening a sustainable energy and resource-efficient product policy through eco-design and taking into account the principles of smart regulation, including a life-cycle approach .