Island Regions call for energy actions
Participants to the Conference in Palma de Mallorca (Balearics) on 19 and 20 of March 1999 adopted a declaration on policy of energy supply and demand management, in which they underlined that the Islands have hitherto not sufficiently benefited from the Trans European Networks, TEN, for energy. They called for the implementation of measures which would result in: - A greater security of energy supply in the islands; - A diversification of their energy resources; - A capacity for exporting their own energy experiences and technologies to the global market, should they have the potential to do so. Consequently, they called on the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament: - To promote TEN programmes for the Islands so as to develop fixed-link energy infrastructure to the mainland and within islands or infrastructure for energy reception and distribution; - To improve the existing fixed links which are outdated or whose capacity is insufficient; - To build the necessary capacity for an autonomous energy production and distribution with special emphasis on renewable energy sources adapted according to geographical and physical conditions and to the development of technical progress; - Urge the European Institutions to present, adopt and implement a Community Directive on renewable energies. This would put a strong emphasis on the situation of Islands and on the use of their potential, with the aim to increase progressively the percentage of renewable energies within the European Union; - Urge them to provide adequate financial means to implement such a policy; - Express concern about the potential effect of the forthcoming reform of Structural Funds if such a reform would result in a general reduction of the available financial resources, and in the exclusion of some Island Regions from the list of eligible Objective 1 or Objective 2 areas; - Request the Commission to give priority to energy projects which might not get priority in the new programme plans being prepared for Objective 1 or 2 areas, and request close scrutiny of all draft proposals by competent services; - Recognize that, in Island regions, energy demand management is fundamental and therefore actions in this domain must be considered as a policy priority, in order to manage the continuous increase in energy demand; - Note that the Island Authorities are committed to strengthen energy demand management through the Energy Management Agencies created or relevant energy structures. But it is still necessary to urge regional and local authorities, to implement energy policies to improve energy efficiency and to sensitize citizens and visitors of islands on rational use of energy measures; - Call for the presentation by DG XVII of a Communication on energy-demand management in which the special needs of islands are especially recognized; - Call for Research and Development funds applicable to energy projects to contain special island criteria to ensure flexibility and priority for projects from islands.