Council Conclusions

2854th Council meeting - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

Brussels, 28 February 2008

President Mr Andrej Vizjak,

Minister of Economy of Slovenia

Main results of the Council

The Council adopted conclusions on the European strategic energy technology plan.

The Council held a public policy debate on the climate-energy package, focusing on the proposal for a directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.

The Council also held a public policy debate on the internal energy market package.

ITEMS DEBATED

European strategic energy technology plan - Council conclusions

The Council welcomed the presentation of the Communication "A European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan)" by the  Commission, and agreed on the fundamental principles for a European Energy Technology Policy:

A European Energy Technology policy is an essential element for the achievement of the European Union's ambitious energy and climate goals for 2020, and will contribute to the worldwide transition to a low-carbon economy by 2050. This policy will help to achieve the goals of the Lisbon Strategy by pursuing research, innovation and enhanced competitiveness and will contribute simultaneously to the three pillars of the Community energy policy: security of supply, sustainability and competitiveness.

The European Energy Technology policy should increase synergies at Community level whilst avoiding the duplication of efforts, and should take into account existing cooperation structures in energy technology Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment (RDD&D). This policy requires increased and sustained funding, for RDD&D on clean, sustainable and efficient energy technologies.

Europe must pursue advances in a broad portfolio of energy technology fields and simultaneously allow Member States to pursue RDD&D in line with their own national situation and preferences. Thus, Member States can choose freely the optimal combination of energy technologies and of R&D priorities, in line with their prerogative to decide upon their own energy mix.

The European experience and know-how in clean, sustainable and efficient energy technologies and their market introduction strategies should be improved upon, multiplied, and applied throughout the European Union. All sectors in the EU economy which are involved in energy-producing, energy-saving and energy-using products and services must be guided and stimulated towards the use of cleaner and more efficient energy technologies.

The full engagement of the private sector is essential.

The Council agreed the following goals and actions:

• To set up the priority Industrial Initiatives as proposed by the Commission. These initiatives should be of a voluntary nature, and can take the form of public-private partnerships or of joint programming by groups of interested Member States. Proposals for these initiatives should demonstrate their cost-effectiveness and added value. Further Industrial Initiatives may be necessary, and therefore Council encourages the Commission to continue to examine areas with great potential such as marine energy, energy storage and energy efficiency for this purpose.

• To set up by the summer of 2008 a group of high level government representatives from each Member State (the "High Level Steering Group"), which convenes in order to exchange information and propose options for an optimisation of overall energy RDD&D efforts in the European Research Area.

• To establish a structured, open and inclusive dialogue between research centres leading to a European Energy Research Alliance.

• To improve and enlarge the Community's world-class knowledge base of energy researchers and research institutes ("capacity building"), including by reducing barriers to mobility, attracting world-class human capital, improving science education, and by asking the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) to identify the need for European research infrastructures in the field of energy technologies, such as renewable energy technologies.

• To further promote international cooperation on RD&D on clean, sustainable and efficient energy technologies.

The Council in this context invites the Commission:

• In 2008, to start work on the above agreed goals, in close consultation and cooperation with Member States and other relevant actors, including by preparing a Communication on financing low carbon technologies, and by engaging in planning and preparatory steps for the transition to low carbon energy networks and systems.
• To review the Strategic Energy Technology Plan at regular intervals.
• To implement, where appropriate, the relevant Community Programmes in support of the goals of the SET Plan.

Climate Action and Renewable Energy Package

Following the Commission's presentation of the climate-energy package, the Council held a public policy debate, focusing on the proposal for a directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.

The climate change-energy package, adopted by the Commission on 23 January, complements existing measures aimed at reaching the overall objective - endorsed by the European Council in March 2007 (7224/1/07) - of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020 compared to 1990 and of achieving a 20% share of renewable energies in overall EU energy consumption by 2020, including a 10% target for biofuels.

The outcome of the debate, which was held on the basis of a presidency questionnaire (5935/08), will provide guidance for the further work of the Council and its preparatory bodies. In view of the nature of the climate-energy package, two horizontal questions, to be shared with the Environment Council of 3 March, focused on the ambition of the package as a whole and on sustainability criteria. Two questions addressed to energy ministers focused on renewable energy sources and on the trade in guarantees of origin.

The presidency summarised the debate along the following lines:

• Delegations welcome the climate-energy package in general as well as the proposal on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources as an important means to achieve the climate and renewable energies goals and, in line with the objectives and targets endorsed by the 2007 Spring European Council, express their general support for the ambition of the package as a whole.

• Early adoption of the instrument has been urged by several delegations.

• The national targets are considered to be very ambitious - some even think they are too ambitious - and, in order to achieve them, there is inter alia a need for:

- much flexibility on how to achieve them,

- increasing public support for renewable energies and here also, flexibility seems to be necessary,

- balance is needed between competitiveness, security of supply and sustainability,

- the contribution of energy efficiency is considered as essential to achieve the objectives.

Internal energy market

The Council held a public policy debate on the internal energy market package on the basis of a presidency note (6324/1/08). This was a very useful debate where most member states voiced their opinions. There were different opinions concerning the proposal of the Commission, the proposal by eight member states, the nonpaper of the Commission as well as the United Kingdom contribution.

The debate showed support by member states for further work towards a compromise solution at working group and the permanent representatives committee level. Further work should lead to political agreement on the third package by June TTE Council.

Any Other Business

• International relations in the field of energy and security of supply

The Council took note of the information provided by the Commission on international relations in the field of energy and security of supply. The Commission reported on the international relations events and developments which have taken place since December 2007. This information covered inter alia the International partnership for energy efficiency cooperation, relations with Turkmenistan and Ukraine, the Euro-Mediterranean energy cooperation, Energy Community, as well as the 2nd strategic energy review to be adopted by the Commission in November 2008, which will focus on security of supply.

Source:   Extract of 6722/08 (Presse 45) 1, Council of the European Union, 28.2.2008