The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted an own-initiative report by Jerzy BUZEK (EPP-ED, PL) on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan, in response to the Commission’s Communication on the subject.
MEPs welcome the European Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan. They consider that a European energy technology policy with adequate financial support is fundamental to achieving the EU's energy and climate change objectives for 2020. They believe that the development and deployment of innovative, low-cost, low-carbon energy technologies, energy efficiency and renewable energy are essential to reducing emissions and creating new markets for EU industry.
The parliamentary committee considers that in order to achieve these targets it is vital to reduce the cost of green energy and to boost innovation in the energy sector. To that end, they recommend improving the process of technology transfer from research centres to enterprises, cutting market penetration times, ending the current technological and regulatory inertia and enhancing network interconnectivity.
Coordination and Strategic Planning: the report emphasises the need to enhance the coordination of Strategic Energy Technologies at various levels and among different partners. It supports the establishment of a High Level Steering Group and a transparent and easily accessible information system on energy technology, especially for SMEs. MEPs also emphasise the vital importance of improving coordination with third countries, particularly emerging economies.
Research and technology transfer: MEPs reiterate that the SET plan must build energy research and innovation capacity on a European scale. Coordination must extend to the various scientific and technological fields that play a part in energy technology research and development, particularly biology, information technology, materials science and macro-technologies. The report emphasises the need to improve the transfer of technologies from research centres to enterprises so that the private sector invests more in research and assumes greater risks.
European Industrial Initiatives (EIIs): MEPs believe that increased support is needed for low carbon technologies in the demonstration and commercialisation phase. Therefore, they welcome the proposed EIIs. The EIIs should be focussed on areas which have the greatest potential to help achieve the EU's climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy objectives on a sustainable basis, as well as allowing reduced costs and replication in the long term.
The parliamentary committee calls for biofuels research to be intensified and notes the importance of developing large scale biomass to gas conversion to produce hydrogen and liquid synthetic fuels for sustainable transport technologies. The Commission is called to investigate the possibility of extending the proposed EIIs to other sectors with significant emissions reduction potential such as cogeneration, hydrogen, the construction and housing sector, heating and cooling systems, better energy storage and distribution infrastructures and interconnection of networks.
MEPs believe that the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology could play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, provided its efficiency and safety is assured. They call on the Commission to facilitate the realisation of up to 12 proposed CCS full-scale demonstration projects within the EIIs.
Financing: the report points out that the SET plan should not be financed through the reallocation of funds made available for energy under FP7 and CIP. MEPs encourage the Commission to ensure adequate financing and support for new low carbon and zero carbon technology R&D, demonstration and commercialisation, so that from 2009 onwards, at least EUR 2 billion per annum of the EU budget is spent on support for such technologies independently from FP7 and CIP. The Commission is called to put forward proposals for additional resources in the mid-term review of the financial framework 2007-2013.