Member States must speed up agreement on energy taxation, says Committee of the Regions
The Community's Member States should quickly reach agreement on a minimum level for energy taxation, says the Committee of the Regions in its views and recommendations on the Commission communication 'Towards a European climate change programme'. The Committee's remarks were recently published alongside its opinion on a Green paper on greenhouse gas emissions trading within the European Union. The Committee stresses the need for consultation with all stakeholders for the planning and implementation of climate programmes and strategies. 'The EU's climate change programme should consider local and regional authorities as a category of their own, particularly with regard to energy and transport issues,' it says. Continuing, the Committee calls on the EU to initiate a dialogue with local and regional authorities on greenhouse gas emissions, who should also be represented in both the energy and transport working groups and among coordination groups 'to be set up at a later date'. It urges the Member States to ratify the Kyoto protocol, following the Hague conference, and increase the proportion of renewables in motor fuel and energy production, as well as combined heat and electricity generation. Regional and local authorities, continues the Committee, also have a significant role to play in energy saving and improving energy efficiency. 'The Community and its Member States must make determined efforts to support voluntary arrangements and provide information on emissions reduction at the local and regional level.' On the Green Paper on greenhouse gas emissions trading within the European Union, the Committee stresses the need to maintain national efforts. 'Trading emission rights or joint projects between industrialised and developing countries may be a useful complement to the national measures of industrialised countries, helping them to achieve their national climate protection targets, but they must not be a substitute for national efforts.' However, it adds, 'the Commission proposals on launching an emissions trading scheme within the Community on an experimental basis in anticipation of the Kyoto protocol deadline of 2008 is sensible.' Participation in such trials should not be restricted to certain sectors or gases, adds the Committee. 'The most important requirement for the emissions trading objectives is reliable information on operator's greenhouse gas emissions and their development. This involves laying down criteria to ensure that emissions balance sheets are comparable and comprehensible.' The Member States should aim to place 'sufficient quantities of emissions on the market' for both purchase and sale, during the trial, adds the Committee. And, it suggests including incineration of waste by municipalities of regions as part of the emissions trading trials. Municipal energy efficiency, it adds, particularly regarding the reduction of transport related carbon dioxide emissions, should also be included among the emission trading objectives. 'Emissions trading can only work if strict sanctions are applied for non-compliance with the rules,' the Committee of the Regions concludes.