Brussels
The European Commission proposes in a new paper that will be published on Wednesday, a three year plan that should lead to a common European energy policy which aims at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions of 20% by the year 2020.
The step was prompted because of great concerns regarding spiraling oil and gas prices, Europe's greater dependency on very few external oil suppliers and global-warming.
The European Commission will present, on Wednesday, energy reports, as well as policy proposals that are expected to be catalysts for a "new industrial revolution" that will make Europe a "highly energy efficient and low-CO2 energy economy".
European Commission official warn that the days Europe enjoyed secure and cheap energy are a thing of the past.
The report underlines the challenges Europe faces: climate change, increasing import dependency and higher energy prices. Furthermore, the report says that European Union member states need to establish a common response in order to be able to address these problems.
The current trends and policies show that the European Union's energy dependency will jump from 50% of the total energy consumption, today, to sixty-five percent in the year 2030. At that time, the European Commission warns, the dependence on gas imports will have increased from fifty-seven percent to eighty-four percent and oil from eighty-two percent to ninety-three percent, which will put Europe in a vulnerable position to major oil and gas producers.
In order to be able to fight these challenges, the European Commission’s paper lays out an action plan that should be implemented in the next three years. The paper calls on European leadership to endorse the plan at the upcoming E.U. Summit, in March 2007.
The center piece of the common energy policy should be combating climate change, promoting jobs and growth and limiting the European Union's external vulnerability to imported hydrocarbons.
European Union officials said the objectives should be to achieve a reduction of 20% in greenhouse gasses by 2020 which is about a fifteen percent reduction, compared with the Kyoto Protocol's based on the year 1990.
Israel Rafalovich
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
UPDATE
EU: Climate change will transform the face of the continent
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2140265.ece
The European Commission proposes in a new paper that will be published on Wednesday, a three year plan that should lead to a common European energy policy which aims at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions of 20% by the year 2020.
The step was prompted because of great concerns regarding spiraling oil and gas prices, Europe's greater dependency on very few external oil suppliers and global-warming.
The European Commission will present, on Wednesday, energy reports, as well as policy proposals that are expected to be catalysts for a "new industrial revolution" that will make Europe a "highly energy efficient and low-CO2 energy economy".
European Commission official warn that the days Europe enjoyed secure and cheap energy are a thing of the past.
The report underlines the challenges Europe faces: climate change, increasing import dependency and higher energy prices. Furthermore, the report says that European Union member states need to establish a common response in order to be able to address these problems.
The current trends and policies show that the European Union's energy dependency will jump from 50% of the total energy consumption, today, to sixty-five percent in the year 2030. At that time, the European Commission warns, the dependence on gas imports will have increased from fifty-seven percent to eighty-four percent and oil from eighty-two percent to ninety-three percent, which will put Europe in a vulnerable position to major oil and gas producers.
In order to be able to fight these challenges, the European Commission’s paper lays out an action plan that should be implemented in the next three years. The paper calls on European leadership to endorse the plan at the upcoming E.U. Summit, in March 2007.
The center piece of the common energy policy should be combating climate change, promoting jobs and growth and limiting the European Union's external vulnerability to imported hydrocarbons.
European Union officials said the objectives should be to achieve a reduction of 20% in greenhouse gasses by 2020 which is about a fifteen percent reduction, compared with the Kyoto Protocol's based on the year 1990.
Israel Rafalovich
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
UPDATE
EU: Climate change will transform the face of the continent
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2140265.ece