Advertise On EU-Digest

Annual Advertising Rates

3/8/06

EURACTIVE: Greens propose 'greener' EU energy strategy

For the full report go to EURACTIVE or click on this link

Greens propose 'greener' EU energy strategy

On the eve of an eagerly awaited Commission Green Paper on energy policy, the Greens have presented their own vision for Europe's energy future. They criticise the Commission for being short-sighted on the transport sector. "96% of the energy used in the transport sector comes from oil. We cannot reduce our oil dependency without tackling our oil-guzzling transport sector," says Claude Turmes, the Vice-President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament.The Green's Vienna Declaration, published on 7 March 2006, urges the Commission to launch "a master plan for reducing the use of oil" in the transport sector as a key objective for the EU's forthcoming energy strategy. This, it says, should be done by raising fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, developing public transport and train connections as well as introducing a tax on windfall profits to oil and electricity companies.

"We need a new approach, which puts efficient use of energy at the centre of the new EU energy policy," says Turmes who believes Europe should focus on both demand and supply side policies and technologies.

No comments: