MEPs agree the Madeira statement to support renewables in the EU
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have agreed to the Madeira statement to support renewable sources of energy in the European Union. The Madeira statement encapsulates the final conclusions of the second inter-Parliamentary meeting on 'renewables energies in the EU', which took place on 12 and 14 May on the island of Madeira. Some 120 representatives from all the EU Member States, including 52 MEPs and national parliamentarians from around the EU, agreed on the final content of the statement, reports the European Forum for renewable energy sources (Eurofores), which organised the event. The Madeira statement looks to promote renewable sources of energy in the EU internal electricity market on a level playing field with other conventional energies. According to Eufores, the 52 parliamentarians welcomed the proposal for a Directive recently adopted by the European Commission. They also praised Commissioner de Palacio's efforts to promote the use of renewables. However they were also particularly worried about the possible implications of an ongoing review of the 'Community guidelines on state aid for environmental protection' on the development of schemes to support renewables. Concerns here hinge around the current lack of a level playing field in the internal electricity market. The parliamentarians went on to urge European institutions and especially European governments to address the problem of the lack of a legal base in the current EU treaties for a common EU energy policy - especially in light of the need to meet the EU climate commitments. Finally, they called on the European institutions to address the energy problems of the EU accession countries and to come up with a clear strategy on how to help these countries to address the question of long-term sustainability of energy. They would also like to see renewables take a more significant place in the EU and Member States' development policies 'so as to facilitate the transfer and development of environmentally sound technologies in developing countries, notably in the field of energy and transportation'.