The European Parliament adopted by 377 votes to 195 with 37 abstentions a resolution on the Energy Roadmap 2050: a future with energy, in response to the Commission Communication on the subject.
Objectives of the EU2050 Energy Roadmap: Parliament stresses the importance of the EU’s energy policy amidst the economic and financial crisis, and the role that energy plays in spurring growth and economic competitiveness and creating jobs in the EU. The Commission is asked to propose post-2020 strategies and a policy framework for 2030, including milestones and targets on greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency, with the aim of establishing an ambitious and stable legal and regulatory framework. Since defining energy targets for 2050 and the intervening period assumes pan-European governance, Members propose the adoption of a strategy that allows Member States to cooperate under the Roadmap in a spirit of solidarity – the creation of a European Energy Community. They note that the 2030 policy framework must be defined within a timeframe that is appropriate for providing investor security.
Key Elements of a long-term strategy: welcoming the Commission’s view that increased deployment of renewables, energy efficiency and energy infrastructure are the ‘no regret’ options, regardless of the specific path chosen to achieve a ‘decarbonised 2050 energy system’, Parliament invites the Commission to:
· explore a combined “high renewables and high energy efficiency” scenario, noting that a choice made about which path to take would help increase investment certainty;
· take decentralised generation explicitly into account in future estimates of renewable energy in the EU energy mix, and map financial, technical and infrastructural obstacles that hamper the growth of decentralised generation in Member States.
Energy efficiency: Member States are encouraged to step up their efforts to reach the 20 % energy efficiency target, which is currently not on track.
Members stress that the EU’s long-term energy-efficiency policy should take the reduction of energy use in buildings as a central element, calling on Member States to adopt ambitious, long-term building renovation strategies as required by the Energy Efficiency Directive. The current quality of building renovation needs to be substantially scaled up in order to significant reduction of energy consumption of the existing building stock by 80 %, relative to 2010 levels, by 2050.
Parliament calls, furthermore, for the EU to consider the full integration of the heating and cooling sector into the transformation of the energy system, noting that this sector represents about 45 % of the final energy consumption in Europe.
Renewable energy: Members make a series of recommendations on increasing uptake. Stressing the importance of stable regulatory frameworks, both on an EU as on a Member State level to stimulate investments, Parliament is concerned by Member States’ increasingly abrupt changes to support mechanisms for renewable energy, and it calls on the Commission to monitor carefully the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive and to take action if necessary.
Infrastructure: energy infrastructure projects are characterised by vast upfront investment and a 20-60 year operational lifetime. The current market environment is highly unpredictable, and Members note that investors are hesitant when it comes to energy infrastructure development, stressing the need to promote new strategies and innovative instruments in this regard.
Specific energy sources: noting that all types of low-carbon technology will be needed to achieve the goal of decarbonising the EU’s energy system, Members agree that natural gas will play an important role, in the short to medium term, in the transformation of the energy system. They consider affording greater importance to gas, particularly if technologies for carbon capture and storage become more widely available, and they advocate strategies to this effect.
Social dimension: special attention should be given to energy poverty and employment, and Members add that the Commission, Member States and local authorities should find tailored solutions with a special emphasis on low-income and vulnerable households.
Arctic: Members note the importance of an agreement on a special regime and call on the Commission to come forward with a holistic assessment of the benefits and risks of EU involvement in the Arctic, including an environmental risk analysis, given the very fragile and indispensible areas, especially in the high Arctic.