ALTENER II: multiannual programme for the promotion of renewable energy sources

In adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mrs Undine-Uta BLOCH VON BLOTTNITZ (V, D), the European Parliament amended the common position of the Council concerning the ALTENER II programme. By reinstating a number of amendments, Parliament insisted that the measures should not be confined to increasing in absolute terms the number of tonnes of oil equivalent of renewable energy but should also seek actually to replace the energy sources mainly used to date. Parliament opposed the entry of a financial reference amount of ECU 22 m, and called for the appropriations available for the implementation of the programme in each financial year to be authorized by the budgetary authority within the limits of the Financial Perspective. The allocation would be set in such a way as to contribute significantly to the objective of reducing CO2 emissions by 15% by 2010 in relation to 1990 levels�