23 January 2008

Energy and climate change: MEPs hear Commission's plan

The EU summit in March, the G8 summit in Heiligendamm in June and the Climate Change Conference in Bali in December 2007 showed us that the clock is ticking - we have to act now for future generations, for our children. The EU's targets in CO2 reduction have to be distributed over many shoulders in different economic sectors, increasing the potential to reduce emissions. In particular, public awareness, science and research are what matters. Regarding these requirements, the Commission proposal is a good policy paper for the European Parliament to work with.

On Wednesday 23rd January, the Commission presents a new package of proposals on energy security, competitiveness, and climate change in an extraordinary plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels. The package follows an agreement reached by the European Council in March of last year, in which EU leaders made a commitment to cut by 20% the Union's CO2 and other emissions by 2020. Proposals will include strengthening the EU's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), setting CO2 limits to be met by 2020 for areas not covered by ETS for each Member State, setting renewable energy targets to be met by 2020 as a percentage of each Member State's total energy consumption, a plan to produce sustainable biofuels, and the establishing of a legal framework to ensure environmentally safe and clean carbon capture and storage. Energy and climate change are now key issues on the political agenda. The EU faces increased energy import dependence, rising energy prices, and the global challenge of climate change.

31/01/2008	Efficacité énergétique: un potentiel à traduire en résultats concrets. Françoise Grossetête MdPE
23/01/2008	Nuclear power important ally to combat CO2 emissions. Gunnar Hökmark MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP-ED Group
23/01/2008	Cambiamento climatico sfida che l'Europa non puo' più posticipare/ Climate change challenge that Europe can't delay any longer. Francesco Musotto MEP
23/01/2008	Energies renouvelables: ne nous trompons pas d'objectif! Françoise Grossetête, MdPE
23/01/2008	Climate Package: Proposal puts decision on emissions trading in aviation in the right perspective. Peter Liese MEP
22/01/2008	Energy and climate proposals: EPP-ED favours ambitious and workable targets. Marianne Thyssen MEP

	23/01/2008: Commission press release
	10/01/2007: Commission Communication: An energy policy for Europe
	8-9/03/2007: Presidency Conclusions of the European Council

09/03/2007

Agreement on energy - European political will is back. Joseph Daul, Chairman of the EPP­-ED Group

EPP-ED Group site on the Temporary Committee on Climate Change

	European Parliament site on the Temporary Committee on Climate Change
	European Parliament site on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
	Commission site on Climate Change
	Commission site on Energy

	Website of Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs
	Website of Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas