Environment/Energy Council on Community action to reduce CO2 emissions
The Environment/Energy Council, meeting on 23 April 1993, expressed satisfaction with the progress to date concerning, on the one hand, the implementation of a global Community strategy for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and, on the other, the increased efficiency in the production, transformation, distribution and use of energy in the Community. A key element of this strategy, it pointed out, is the continuation and strengthening in all Member States of measures to save energy, to increase energy efficiency and to promote the use of renewable energy sources. The recent Decision to implement a Community mechanism for monitoring carbon dioxide emissions, and other greenhouse gases, was noted with satisfaction. This mechanism will enable periodic assessments of the impact of the various measures being put into place. The Commission is invited to present an evaluation, based on the information generated by this monitoring mechanism, of the progress made towards reaching the target objectives for emission reductions. The Council noted that the various programmes presented by different Member States show that a fiscal instrument (tax) has an important role to play in achieving CO2 emission reductions. For this reason, the Council considers that such a tax should be rapidly put into place at Community level and has asked the Presidency to draft a Decision on the creation of such an instrument in order to accelerate this process. Similarly, the Council has decided that, in the framework of the OECD, the Community should initiate action to promote the use of such a tax in order to coordinate and increase the efficiency of actions that are compatible with Community policy. Parallel to this, the Community will continue discussions with its commercial partners, with energy producers and with the developing countries of the world. Committed to rapidly adopting the recent proposals concerning the SAVE Directive and the ALTENER programme, the Council has asked Parliament to transmit its opinion before the Energy Council meets in June 1993.