The Industry, Research and Energy Committee wants to accelerate substantially the deployment of renewable energy, and the reduction of energy consumption, by 2030.
On Wednesday 13 July, MEPs voted to raise the share of renewables in the EU’s final energy consumption to 45% by 2030, under the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) -a target also backed by the European Commission under its “RepowerEU” package.
MEPs doubled the number of cross-border projects for the expansion of green electricity to two projects per member state. Member states with the highest annual electricity consumption will be obliged to adopt a third project by 2030.
The Committee also demands that member states set an indicative target for innovative renewable energy technology of at least 5% of newly installed renewable energy capacity.
MEPs also insisted on the transparency of green electricity components and the simplification of hydrogen ramp-up, including a simpler system for guaranteeing of its origin.
In the transport sector, renewables deployment should lead to a 16% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, through the use of higher shares of advanced biofuels and a more ambitious quota for renewable fuels of non-biological origin such as hydrogen.
Energy savings
In a separate vote on Wednesday, MEPs backed the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), the law that sets energy saving targets in both primary and final energy consumption in the EU.
MEPs raised the EU target for reducing final and primary energy consumption: Member States should collectively ensure a reduction of energy consumption of at least 40% by 2030 in final energy consumption and 42.5% in primary energy consumption compared to 2007 projections. This corresponds to 740 and 960 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) for final and primary energy consumption, respectively. Member States should set binding national contributions to achieve these targets.
The targets should be achieved through measures at local, regional, national and European levels, in different sectors – e.g. public administration, buildings, businesses, data centres.
Quotes
“Only the expansion of renewable energy means true independence” said Markus Pieper (EPP, DE), lead MEP on the renewable energy directive. “Our vote demonstrates strong support for the increased 2030 target of 45%. At the same time, we confirm the need for more cross-border cooperation to expand renewable energy deployment and call for a diversified import strategy for hydrogen. We have also raised the requirements for the sustainability of biomass and fuels, while at the same time showing ways in which biogenic materials can make a real economic contribution to the energy transition”.
Niels Fuglsang (S&D, DK), rapporteur on the energy efficiency directive, said:
“I am happy we have broad political support for greater efforts for energy efficiency in the European Parliament. We are in a crisis where Putin is shutting off gas to the EU. One of our most effective answers to this is energy efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial that the committee today has voted for high and binding energy efficiency targets for the EU as a whole and for individual member states.”
Next steps
MEPs adopted the report on the RED with 54 votes to 14, with 6 abstentions, and on the EED with 50 votes to 7, with 13 abstentions. Both files will be put to a vote by the full House during the 12-15 September plenary session in Strasbourg.
Background
On 14 July 2021 the European Commission adopted the ‘Fit for 55’ package, adapting existing climate and energy legislation to meet the new EU objective of a minimum 55% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. One element of the package is the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), which will help the EU deliver the new 55% GHG target. Under RED II, the EU is obliged to ensure at least 32% of its energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources (RES) by 2030.
The “Fit for 55” package also includes a recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), aligning its provisions to the new 55% GHG target. The EED currently sets out the level of energy savings the EU needs to make to meet the agreed goal of 32.5% energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The recast would require member states to almost double their annual energy savings obligations, with a flagship role for governments and public sector investment, action to address energy poverty, and other measures to help to deliver further energy savings.
S&Ds: Energy efficiency is key to tackle high electricity bills and climate change, but the most vulnerable must be protected
Brussels, 13 July 2022
The S&D Group built a strong majority as the leading negotiating power in the European Parliament’s committee on industry, research and energy (ITRE), where members today adopted their position on the Energy Efficiency Directive. The Socialists and Democrats welcome the legislative proposal in the context of the problems facing the EU, such as the dependency on Russian energy, climate emergency and rising prices of energy resources. However, they added a strong social element as the much needed energy efficiency must not be carried on the shoulders of households with lower incomes, nor on Europeans that are already in a situation of energy poverty.
Niels Fuglsang, S&D MEP and EP negotiator on the Energy Efficiency Directive, said:
“Reducing energy consumption is good for both your pocket and for the planet. This is why we need nationally binding energy efficiency targets. I am happy that we managed to have a broad majority supporting a more ambitious Directive reducing energy consumption by 40% in 2030, compared to 2007, instead of the 36% in the initial legislative proposal.
“Every time we increase energy efficiency by 1%, we reduce natural gas imports by 2,6%. A strong energy efficiency Directive will help us become independent from Russian fossil fuels. I am also satisfied that we managed to increase the percentage of annual energy savings that national governments should report from 1,5% to 2%, compared to the proposal by the European Commission. Our group also voted in favour of the idea that 3% of all public buildings must be energy renovated every year, while also including the conditions that buildings with social services and social housing will not have a disproportionate impact on rents.”
Source – S&D – Email
EPP Group: Renewable Energy Directive – higher ambition and pragmatic solutions
Brussels, 13 July 2022
“This is a good day for Europe’s energy transition because the EPP Group’s idea to increase the roll-out of renewable energy to a target of 45% by 2030 has now been approved by a large majority in the parliamentary committee”, declared Markus Pieper MEP, the European Parliament’s Negotiator of the Renewable Energy Directive.
Today, the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy voted on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). Renewable energy is of primordial importance for the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050 and for Europe’s energy independence. Putin’s war against Ukraine is forcing Europe to rebuild its energy system even faster.
“Today we have adopted many pragmatic solutions that are much more ambitious and innovative than the initial European Commission proposal. The aim is to double the cross-border expansion of green electricity projects to two projects per Member State, with the largest energy consumers having to reach 3 projects by 2030. We are introducing innovation rates so that 5% of the newly-installed capacity is made up of innovative technologies, helping them accelerate their breakthrough”, said Pieper.
Hydrogen will play a key part in the decarbonisation of Europe, in particular when hydrogen is generated from renewable energy, commonly known as green hydrogen.
“We created a simpler system for guarantees of origin with digital and simultaneous recording of green electricity shares and we made them fit for the indirect purchase of green hydrogen. There are also ambitious sector targets for industry (50% green hydrogen, mandatory by 2030), which can be adapted on the basis of availability analyses and buildings. To this end, the introduction of a hydrogen import strategy should be laid down by law and all installations should be taken into the production of green hydrogen, including existing ones”, said Pieper.
The criteria to define green hydrogen is one of the sticking points in the negotiations.
“It is regrettable that we could not find a majority in favour of simplifying the criteria for green hydrogen. The delegated act presented by the Commission is too complicated. The Industry Committee missed an opportunity today”, concluded Pieper.
Source – EPP Group