Parliament highlights role of R&D in Europe's future energy supply
21 June 2001 - 21 June 2001
A public hearing on the security of energy supply in Europe will take place in the European Parliament on 21 June with the role of research and development on the agenda.
Organised by the Parliament's committee on industry, external trade, research and energy, the event will bring together the chairman of the international association of oil and gas producers, Dr Wolfgang Schollnberger, the vice president for research and development of COGEMA (French nuclear energy company) and the vice president of FEDARENE for renewable energy sources (FEDARENE being the European federation of regional energy and environment agencies), among others. Chairing the meeting will be Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza, president of the committee and the rapporteur on the green paper on the security of energy supply, Giles Bryan Chichester, MEP.
The meeting follows the Parliament's adoption of a report on 14 June submitted by MEP Rolf Linkohr on the European Union's oil supply. It stressed that more coordination on oil supply between the European institutions and the Member States was essential - the European Union is already dependent on oil imports for 75 per cent of its oil requirements and this is anticipated to rise to 85 per cent within 20 years. As well as addressing current policies and liberalisation issues, the Parliament urged the European Union to research further the possibilities of using renewable energy resources.
The report recognises alternative forms of energy as a viable replacement for a percentage of the oil and in particular identified nuclear energy, renewable energy sources and biofuels as areas where further research could lead to less dependency on external oil sources. It also urged the European Commission to 'take into account the potential of the accession countries in the production of biofuels'.For further details on the energy report, please contact:
Leena Maria Linnus
Tel: +32-2-2842825 or
Tel: +33-3-88172421
E-mail: indu-press@europarl.eu.int
Organised by the Parliament's committee on industry, external trade, research and energy, the event will bring together the chairman of the international association of oil and gas producers, Dr Wolfgang Schollnberger, the vice president for research and development of COGEMA (French nuclear energy company) and the vice president of FEDARENE for renewable energy sources (FEDARENE being the European federation of regional energy and environment agencies), among others. Chairing the meeting will be Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza, president of the committee and the rapporteur on the green paper on the security of energy supply, Giles Bryan Chichester, MEP.
The meeting follows the Parliament's adoption of a report on 14 June submitted by MEP Rolf Linkohr on the European Union's oil supply. It stressed that more coordination on oil supply between the European institutions and the Member States was essential - the European Union is already dependent on oil imports for 75 per cent of its oil requirements and this is anticipated to rise to 85 per cent within 20 years. As well as addressing current policies and liberalisation issues, the Parliament urged the European Union to research further the possibilities of using renewable energy resources.
The report recognises alternative forms of energy as a viable replacement for a percentage of the oil and in particular identified nuclear energy, renewable energy sources and biofuels as areas where further research could lead to less dependency on external oil sources. It also urged the European Commission to 'take into account the potential of the accession countries in the production of biofuels'.For further details on the energy report, please contact:
Leena Maria Linnus
Tel: +32-2-2842825 or
Tel: +33-3-88172421
E-mail: indu-press@europarl.eu.int