Energy Union needs a modern and flexible governance

“If we want to deliver on the 2030 targets and beyond, it is necessary to give the market some room for manoeuvre to make long-term investments in new and efficient technologies. The proposal by the Greens will undermine this by steering investments towards a short-term perspective”, said the EPP Group Spokesman in the European Parliament’s Industry Committee, Gunnar Hökmark MEP, before the vote which takes place tomorrow in the joint Industry and Environment Committees on the legislative proposal on the Governance of the Energy Union.

This legislation enables the European Commission and the Member States to keep track of the progress towards an Energy Union in the EU. One of its main purposes is to allow national objectives and policies to be coherent with EU goals while also making sure that individual countries' flexibility can adapt to local conditions and needs.

This is exactly why the EPP Group favours a modern and flexible approach in the Energy Union as opposed to the outdated inflexible planning proposed by the Greens.

The EPP Group Spokeswoman in the Environment Committee, Angélique Delahaye MEP, points to the fact that real world experience has proven that a modern approach to governance works. “The great achievements within the field of renewable energy and new technologies that we have seen in parts of Europe, are not the result of regulation, but of competition and well-designed incentive structures. We need to continue to build on that same logic”, she said.

Only by keeping a focus on what we want to achieve in the long-run - notably to keep the promises we made to each other and the planet in the Paris Climate Agreement - will we succeed, the MEP noted.

“A long-term strategy is the right path to follow in our energy and climate policies. It will facilitate long-term investments, ensure stability for European industry, and at the same time help us to fulfil the climate goals in the Paris Agreement. The long-term strategy must be efficiently shaped so that all Member States push in the same direction. Without a political consensus on where we want to go, we will not be able to go anywhere”, said Angélique Delahaye.

“In addition, when it comes to the reality on the ground, the decisions have to be taken as close as possible to the actors involved”, Gunnar Hökmark underlined.

“Regional cooperation is key to achieving a truly European energy market. We are happy that the Parliament will be going into the negotiations with the European Commission and the Council asking the Member States to explore all possible options, while also recognising that solutions are only viable if they come from those directly concerned”, Hökmark concluded.