collega - Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem

Dvelopment of the European Union’s energy policy
to work out national plans in the
field of energy efficiency and renewable
sources of energy in a common
determinant way.
About reducing import: the Community
imports fifty percent of its
energy sources from foreign countries.
If the EU depends on other
countries, it couldn’t be a worldleading
economy. 6
So it’s wrong for
the Community’s competitiveness
but also for us, for consumers,
because it endangers the safety of
supply. With environmental results
the two other problems also can be
solved, because the Community can
be world-leading in the research of
renewable energy sources, and these
sources are produced in the inner
market, so less import will be needed
and the safety of energy supply
will be balanced.
There are three solutions of
today’s European energy policy:
1. emission trading mechanism,
2. increasing energy efficiency and
savings,
3. renewable energy sources.
In reducing greenhouse gases in the
last few years the European
Community has built out greenhouse
gas emission trading system.
The essentiality of this system is that
all member states determine for
industrial persons the allowable
units of emission, which have no
legal consequences. When companies
surpass this quantity, they can
do two things. First they can buy free
units from other companies, whose
emission is lower than the legally
permitted. And secondly they can
face with consequences (for example
fine or suspension of function).
Energy efficiency and energy savings
can help to secure the safety of
supply. In this field several Green
Papers were accepted: in 2000
“Towards a European strategy for
the security of energy supply”, in
2002 “Let us overcome our dependence”
and in 2005 “Doing more with
less”. These documents analyse the
situation of the EU’s energy supply.
When the Community consumes
more than its production, it could do
two things: imports sources or
reduces consumption. EU could save
20% of its consumption (this quantity
is the total consumption of Finland
and Germany), if the Community
pay more attention on energy
efficiency and saving. About energy
efficiency the most important rules
are in connection with equipments,
such as refrigerator, boiler, computer
etc. In 2005 a directive was accepted
about environment-friendly planning
of equipments, which has
harmful effects on environment. The
directive prescribes that by equipments,
which satisfy some conditions,
all environmental effect must
be examined through their life.
Environmental aspects help to regulate
the use of renewable energy
sources, to reduce greenhouse gases’
emission, to develop less harmful
fossil fuels uses technologies etc.. The
sixth framework programme on
environment prescribes that environmental
aspects must be built into relevant
policies, such as energy. From
this year Intelligent Energy for
Europe programme is took place in
Competitiveness and Innovation
Framework Programme (2007-2013).
This programme helps the European
Community to be one of the world’s
most competitive economies. It promotes
all innovation, which serves
sustainable development, reduces
environmental effects and uses fewer
natural resources. For promotion of
renewable energy sources, this programme
gives 3 621 300 000 euros.
V. The latest changes
In January 2007 the European
Commission has published some
important documents on energy:
– Energy Policy for Europe 7
– Limiting Global Climate Change to
2 degrees Celsius – The way ahead
for 2020 and beyond 8
– Green Paper follow-up action –
Report on progress in renewable
electricity 9
– Towards a European Strategic
Energy Technology Plan 10
– Renewable Energy Road Map
Renewable energies in the 21 st century:
building a more sustainable
future 11
– Proposal for a Regulation on energy
statistics 12
– Biofuels Progress Report – Report
on he progress made in the use of
biofuels and other renewable fuels
in the Member States of the
European Union 13
– Sustainable power generation from
fossil fuels: aiming for near-zero
emissions from coal after 2020 14
– Prospects for the internal gas and
electricity market 15
– Nuclear Illustrative Programme
Presented under Article 40 of the
Euratom Treaty for the opinion of
the European Economic and Social
Committee. 16
6 FREID Mónika (KSH): Energiakörkép az Európai Unióban (Energy panorama in the European Union), Európai Tükör, XI. évf. 9. szám, 2006.
124–131. p.
7 COM(2007) 1 Communication from the Commission to the European Council and the European Parliament an Energy Policy for Europe
8 COM(2007) 2 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Limiting Global Climate Change to 2 degrees Celsius – The way ahead for 2020 and beyond
9 COM(2007) 849 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – Green Paper follow-up action – Report
on progress in renewable electricity
10 COM(2006)847 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Towards a European Strategic Energy Technology Plan
11 COM(2007) 848 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – Renewable Energy Road Map Renewable
energies in the 21st century: building a more sustainable future
12 COM(2007) 850 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy statistics
13 COM(2006) 845 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – Biofuels Progress Report – Report on he
progress made in the use of biofuels and other renewable fuels in the Member States of the European Union
14 COM(2006) 843 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – Sustainable power generation from fossil
fuels: aiming for near-zero emissions from coal after 2020
15 COM(2006) 841 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – Prospects for the internal gas and electricity
market
16 COM(2006) 844 Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – Nuclear Illustrative Programme
Presented under Article 40 of the Euratom Treaty for the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee
2007. évi 2–3. szám
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