Energy Roadmap 2050 needs the support of local and regional authorities
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) has backed the Energy Roadmap 2050, European Commission's plans to reduce energy consumption and commit to shifting towards more sustainable energy resources. However, it urged that far more needs to be done to support local and regional authorities if these objectives are to be achieved.
Read more …No drilling without hazard report and emergency response plan, approved by Energy Committee
Energy Committee (ITRE Committee) in the European Parliament approved that offshore oil and gas firms would have to submit major hazard reports and emergency response plans before getting a licence to drill. This draft law is designed to prevent accidents such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
Read more …Although further improvement is needed, the standards of safety of nuclear power plants in Europe are generally high
The nuclear stress tests made to the nuclear power plants in Europe show that the standards of safety of nuclear power plants in Europe are generally high but further improvements in the safety features of almost all European nuclear power plants are recommended.
Read more …Each member state will set up an energy efficiency obligation scheme with the new energy efficiency directive
The Council adopted the energy efficiency directive with the Finnish delegation abstaining and the Spanish and Portuguese delegations voting against. According to the Council, the directive establishes a common framework of measures for the promotion of energy efficiency within the Union in order to achieve its 2020 20% headline target on energy efficiency. Each member state will also be obliged to set an indicative national energy efficiency target.
Read more …The licence to drill should be linked to possibility of paying costs of any potential environmental damage, says MEPs
Environment Committee in the European Parliament underlined that oil firms must be held liable for the costs of any potential environmental damage - and have the means to pay - or else be denied licences to drill in EU waters. The Committee voted on 19 of September on the new legislation that will set minimum European standards for offshore oil and gas safety, regulating licensing, emergency plans and decommissioning of platforms.
Read more …Industry Committee agreed on the need for more efforts to modernise and expand Europe's energy infrastructure
MEPs decided to amend the draft legislation designed to accelerate work on developing and co-ordinating energy infrastructure projects. The ITRE Committee in the European Parliament amended governance rules for the regional expert groups to increase their transparency, and defined more clearly which commercially non-viable projects should be entitled to EU funding from the Connecting Europe Facility.
Read more …The EU to support a blue economy based on growth and competitiveness of marine and maritime sectors
The European Commission has adopted a Communication describing a set of initiatives aimed at achieving a more competitive European maritime and marine sectors and at ensuring their sustainable growth. Commission's document analyses the potential for growth ans competitiveness which marine and maritime sectors as a whole can make to the European economy through innovative activities such as marine energy or biotechnology.
Read more …