EUROVOC descriptor: developing countries energy supply trade policy environmental policy energy policy energy production energy technology research and development substitute fuel

1. The provisions of Articles 2 to 5 shall be reviewed by the Council, by unanimous decision, after consulting the European Parliament and the Commission, when a common definition of origin for petroleum products from third countries and associated countries is adopted, or when decisions are taken within the framework of a common commercial policy for the products in question or when a common energy policy is established.

68. Urges the 2007 Spring European Council to endorse the Energy Efficiency Action Plan action plan proposed by the Commission, which should at least contain the following elements: the placing of consumers, whether they are householders or commercial and industrial users, at the centre of energy policy; a road map at Council and Commission level for reaching a target for renewable energy of 50 % by 2040, a 30 % reduction at EU level in the CO2 target for 2020, an EU target for energy efficiency improvements of at least 20% by 2020 and a 60 to 80 % reduction for 2050; reform of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to guide the market into investment in a low carbon economy, which should be driven by a set target for EU carbon emissions b ...[+++]y 2020, including a target of 25 % of energy from renewable sources by 2020 and a binding target for car emissions; a step change in energy efficiency, faster implementation of existing EC rules in the Member States, or failing that, concrete improvements in the regulatory framework; a clearer separation of energy production from energy distribution through stronger independent regulatory control, which takes into account the interests of Europe as a whole, an effort to address missing interconnections, stimulate investment and innovation, minimum binding guidelines set out for regulators, including a procedure for the appointment of regulators, independence, transparency and accountability; an ambitious RD strategy on clean energy technologies, including an increase of at least 50 % in its annual spending on energy research over the next seven years; the development of an effective solidarity mechanism to deal with any energy supply crisis; a common foreign energy policy strategy so that it can increasingly speak with one voice to third countries; a doubling of the efforts to prompt global action to combat climate change, since the European Union cannot tackle the problem alone; and the full implementation of all current E ...

44. Regards energy policy as an important aspect, since the EU is surrounded by the world's largest oil and natural gas reserves (Russia and the Caspian basin, the Middle East and North Africa), and many countries in the neighbourhood, such as Russia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Azerbaijan are suppliers or, as in the case of Ukraine, Belarus, Morocco, Tunisia, Georgia and Armenia, transit countries, and an improvement in energy network links will benefit both the EU and its partner countries; points out that the relations in the field of energy between the EU and the countries in its neighbourhood should be considered within the framework ...[+++] of a broader European energy policy, the aim of which would be to contribute to the diversity and security of energy supply of both the EU and its partner countries; asks the Commission to present a communication on the foreign and neighbourhood policy aspects of the energy policy;

44. Regards energy policy as an important aspect, since the EU is surrounded by the world's largest oil and natural gas reserves (Russia and the Caspian basin, the Middle East and North Africa), and many countries in the neighbourhood, such as Russia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Azerbaijan are suppliers or, as in the case of Ukraine, Belarus, Morocco, Tunisia, Georgia and Armenia, transit countries, and an improvement in energy network links will benefit both the EU and its partner countries; points out that the relations in the field of energy between the EU and the countries in its neighbourhood should be considered within the framework ...[+++] of a broader European energy policy, the aim of which would be to contribute to the diversity and security of energy supply of both the EU and its partner countries; asks the Commission to present a communication on the foreign and neighbourhood policy aspects of the energy policy;

Finally, the EU should renew its efforts to arrive at a common understanding with industrialised third countries, in particular the US, to the effect that serious efforts to improve global energy efficiency are indispensable; the recommendations contained in the recent consensus report from the US National Commission on Energy Policy[28], which forcefully addresses demand-side policies, may be a positive starting point for such a renewed EU-US dialogue on energy efficiency.