| New Energy Commissioner will keep nuclear option open | | Print | |
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The European Commissioner-designate for Energy, László Kovács of Hungary, faced questions on nuclear safety, renewable energy and market liberalisation, Europe's dependence on imported energy and the Kyoto protocol, during his hearing before the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Chaired by Giles Chichester (EPP-ED, UK). In his opening statement, the Commissioner-designate outlined his priorities for energy policy: competitiveness, sustainability and the international dimension. He stressed that EU policy needs to provide a stable framework for secure energy supply, while ensuring full protection for the environment. To guarantee competitiveness, his first task was "to ensure the proper implementation of the second liberalisation package by all Member States," which would help to complete the internal market in energy. This latter goal required in particular more investment in interconnector capacity. "Renewable energy is of the utmost importance," he said, but "in many Member States it is a marginal contributor to energy production." More development of renewables "would create high quality jobs, improve safety and stimulate high technology innovation," he argued. To add to the limited public funding, there should be market driven measures such as the European Green Certificate to encourage more and lower cost renewable power generation. Nuclear power was an inevitable part of Europe's current energy production, he said, but it needed to operate to the highest safety standards, and the issue of radioactive waste must be resolved. Europe's growing dependence on imported energy made us vulnerable, he said. One solution was "to diversify geographically our supply structures," and this meant intensifying dialogue with supplier and transit countries: with Russia, but also with Ukraine, the Caspian region, South East Europe, the Mediterranean and OPEC. In addition, there should be dialogue with major consuming countries, notably China. Nuclear power - an unavoidable part of the mix Pressed, among others, by Rebecca Harms (GEFA, Germany) to spell out his position on nuclear power, he said he agreed with the present Energy Commissioner Loyola de Palacio that "the nuclear option should be left open, but safety is a vital issue both in terms of the installations themselves and in management." On the question of Soviet-designed nuclear power stations in a number of the new Member States, he told Romana Jordan Cizelj (EPP-ED, Slovenia) that there was a real dilemma. If these plants were to close there would be severe power problems. "If Hungary were to close the Paks plant, we would lose 40 per cent of our power capacity. Each country will have to find its own strategy, though ultimately safety will have to take priority. It is a question of choosing between worse and worst." In written questions prior to the hearing he went further asserting: “Nuclear energy, which emits no CO2 emissions, will also have to play a continuing role in our overall energy portfolio – the main challenge being to ensure a safe and sustainable energy supply for our citizens.” He assured Herbert Otto Reul (EPP-ED, Germany) that he had no intention of cutting the number of nuclear inspectors working for Euratom, though he suggested the scope of their inspections might need to be reviewed. Russia and the Kyoto Protocol Responding to Reino Paasilinna (PES, Finland) on whether his experience in Hungary's government before 1989 would help in negotiations with Russia, which supplies a third of the EU’s energy, Mr Kovács said, "I don't have a hotline to President Putin, but I do understand the Russian way of thinking and the historical context." To applause from MEPs he spoke of reports that Russia was about to ratify the Kyoto protocol. Having made clear his firm commitment to Kyoto, he responded to Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca (EPP-ED, Spain), who raised concerns about its impact on jobs and competitiveness in the EU. The answer, he argued, lay in increasing the use of renewables, improving energy efficiency, developing new technology such as clean coal plants and some use of nuclear power. Balance of energy supply The Commissioner-designate said these measures would also help in introducing more diversity to Europe's energy sources. "This would," he told Vittorio Prodi (ALDE, Italy), "help reduce dependence on oil imports, by focussing on options such as biofuel, ethanol, solar and wind power." However, he told David Hammerstein (GEFA, Spain) that it was not for the Commission to try to impose legally binding targets on the energy mix. Even if he wanted to, "there is really no room for compromise between the French model mostly relying on nuclear power and the German plan to phase it out." Ultimately, this was a matter for the Member States, but "the Commission should promote greater use of renewables - this is the only way forward." However in written answers prior to the hearing he made it clear that he was determined to try to push the nuclear package through the legislative progress in some form. In these answers he said that he was determined that Member States should find a permanent solution for high level nuclear waste and that no new nuclear station could be built until such a solution had been agreed. Energy efficiency Asked by Mieczysaw Edmund Janowski (UEN, Poland) about promoting energy efficiency in industry and transport, Mr Kovács highlighted the draft directives on energy services and eco-design as tools to achieve these aims. He said "eco-design will hit 3 flies with one strike: saving energy, polluting less and decreasing energy dependence." He agreed with András Gyürk (EPP-ED, Hungary) on the need to tackle the threefold difference in energy efficiency rates between the old and new Member States. "When the Intelligent Energy Europe programme ends in 2006, it should be replaced with a Mark II programme, which could address these problems. I believe a budget of €1,300 million is needed over the next Financial Perspective." Power blackouts - liberalisation the answer? Umberto Guidoni (GUE/NGL, Italy) asked what Mr Kovács would do to prevent power blackouts like that which affected Italy in 2003. The candidate Commissioner said this had been a shocking episode, which he blamed on inadequate spending on interconnector capacity and the Trans European Energy Network in general. The answer was more investment and continued progress on liberalising the power market. The Commission would be producing a report on the effectiveness of market opening by the end of 2005; it would have to decide whether to opt for a third liberalisation package or to focus on full implementation of the second package. EPP-ED = European Peoples Party and European Democrats PES = Party of European Socialists ALDE = Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe GEFA = Greens and the European Free Alliance GUENGL = Group of the European United Left and Nordic Green Left UEN = Union for Europe of the Nations |
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