Renewable sources for energy: Community strategy. Green paper
1996/2260(COS)
In adopting the report by Mrs Mechtild Rothe (PES, D), Parliament called for the Commission's
forthcoming white paper on renewable sources of energy to include the following points:
- making it an objective to gear EU policy to increasing the share of renewable energy sources in
total energy consumption in the EU to at least 15% by the year 2000;
- a Community tax model which internalizes external costs and exempts renewable energy sources
from tax;
- requiring electricity supply companies to take electricity from renewable energy sources;
- drafting initiatives to secure commitments from the Member States to using a specified proportion
of renewable energy sources in energy production by supply companies and industry;
- setting up a European fund for renewable energy sources to finance research, development and
market introduction;
- a strategy for a European programme for '1.000.000 roofs' which would meet a proportion of the
cost of small, private photovoltaic systems on the roofs and walls of buildings, together with a 15
000 megawatt wind programme (offshore and in the mountains) and 1 000 megawatt biomass
programme in conjunction with the Member States;
- a draft directive on buildings taking account of the use of solar energy for heating and electricity;
- a list of key projects which could receive start-up finance of more than 50%;
- an information campaign to explain the value of and potential for renewable sources of energy to
the energy sectors, industry, investors and the public;
- better utilization of agricultural and forestry biomass as part of the Common Agricultural Policy;
- better use of renewable energy sources in the building projects of the Community bodies;
- better use of the Structural Funds.
Paramount is also calling for 15% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2010 from their 1990 level. An
amendment has been tabled seeking the inclusion of an energy chapter in the Treaty or the
establishment a Treaty on renewable energy sources (Euronew) modelled on the EURATOM Treaty
(with the power of codecision for the European Parliament).
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