The European Parliament adopted in its Plenary Session on January 3rd, a report in which MEPs call call for mandatory emergency action plans in case of gas supply shortages, more grid interconnections among Member States, a specific road map for investments in nuclear energy, and new climate targets to be achieved by 2050, including cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80%. These wide-ranging recommendations would make up the EU's future energy policy.

The European Parliament adopted by a large majority (406 votes in favour, with 168 votes against and 87 abstentions) a report drawn up by French MEP Anne Laperrouze on the "Second Strategic Energy Review", which will be on the agenda for the 19-20th March European Council debate on the EU's future energy strategy.

MEPs call on the Commission and the Czech Presidency to present "a new ambitious and far-sighted diversification plan" to this meeting of the EU's Heads of State.

The Chamber also pointed out that the EU should develop gas storage with fast-release capacity and that a single European gas grid should be established linking up all EU Member States. "Gas and electricity interconnections through Central and South-eastern Europe along a north-south axis" should be developed and especially the Baltic Sea region needed to be integrated into the Western European network, says the report.

Even with the help of ambitious energy saving plans, the EU is likely to still be dependent on third countries for supplies of fossil energy in the medium term, say MEPs. The EU currently imports 50% of the energy it consumes, a proportion which could rise to 70% by 2030.

Lessons learned for Ukraine-Russian gas crisis

In the aftermath of the recent gas supply crisis between Ukraine and Russia, which left many EU citizens without heating this winter, MEPs call on the Commission to propose revising the 2004 Security of gas supply directive before the end of this year. Parliament wants this revision to include "mandatory and effective national and EU emergency action plans" providing for:

• A common declaration of an emergency situation.
• The allocation of available supplies and infrastructure capacity among the affected countries.
• Co-ordinated dispatching.
• The activation of emergency measures in unaffected or less affected states in order to increase the amount of gas available to the affected markets.

The EU, Russia and Ukraine should conclude a trilateral agreement to secure gas supply from Russia via Ukraine to the EU in the coming years, say MEPs. They also advocate including an "energy security clause" in future trade, association, partnership and cooperation agreements with producer and transit countries which would prohibit any supply disruption due to commercial disputes.
 
Besides, Parliament supports negotiations for a wide-ranging new agreement replacing the 1997 Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with Russia.

Diversification of gas supply

Parliament supports projects to diversify supply routes and sources, such as the Nabucco, Turkey-Greece-Italy (TGI), and South Stream pipelines. "In the longer term, when political conditions permit, supplies from other countries in the Caspian region, such as Uzbekistan and Iran, should represent a further significant supply source for the EU", say MEPs.
 
MEPs stress that sufficient liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity is needed, meaning that liquefaction facilities in the producing countries and LNG terminals and ship-based re-gasification in the EU should be available to all Member States.

Alternative Energy: Offshore wind installations in the North Sea

The House welcomes the proposal to submit a plan for an offshore network in the North Sea in order to exploit the enormous wind energy potential and also welcomes in this connection the creation of a European supergrid by linking the network infrastructures of the North Sea, Mediterranean and Baltic regions.
 
MEPs call on the Commission and Member States to ensure appropriate regulation and to allow for non-discriminatory access to new infrastructure, for example, to the North Sea offshore grid.

Nuclear energy

MEPs stress that nuclear energy is to be used "at the highest technologically possible level of safety"; adding that the EU's neighbouring countries, too, should adopt European nuclear safety standards every time a new nuclear plant is planned or an old one is upgraded. This approach also meets the position set forth at the Nuclear Energy Assembly held in Brussels where Commission underlined the role of nuclear energy in the transition to a low carbon economy.
 
Parliament considers it important to maintain nuclear energy in the EU's energy mix and calls on the Commission to draw up a "specific road map for nuclear investments". MEPs rejected by a broad majority an amendment which called on Member States to set up a phase-out plan.
 
Furthermore, MEPs say the Commission and Council should develop joint models and procedures together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to prevent the peaceful use of nuclear energy from leading to the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Further Steps: 2050 Climate Targets

MEPs call on the EU's heads of states to adopt new climate targets to be achieved by 2050: a cut of at least 80% in greenhouse gas emissions, a 35% improvement in energy efficiency, and a 60% share of renewable energy in the EU's total energy consumption. 
 
Saving energy is "the most effective and cost-efficient way of improving energy security", say MEPs, calling on the Commission and Member States immediately to adopt a legally binding energy efficiency improvement target of at least 20% by 2020. The two other "2020" targets - reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% and increasing the share of renewable energy to 20% - are already fixed by the EU's climate change legislation, adopted in December 2008.