Publication European Commission Towards a European Strategic Energy Technology Plan

Website: ec.europa.eu/energy/energy_policy/index_en.htm




To find similar Items, click on a keyword below:
Publications : Liquid Biofuels and Biogas : Policy : Wood (Lignocellulose)



COM(2006) 847 final - Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Towards a European Strategic Energy Technology Plan, Brussels, 10.1.2007.

Download Document (53Kb PDF)

Introduction

Europe has entered a new energy era, as presented in the Energy Green Paper 'A European Strategy for a Sustainable, Competitive, and Secure Energy'. Global demand for energy is increasing within a framework of high and unstable energy prices. Emissions of greenhouse gases are rising. Reserves of oil and gas are concentrated in a few countries. Against this backdrop, it is clear that the European Union and the rest of the world have not reacted quickly enough to increase the use of low-carbon energy technologies or to improve energy efficiency. As a consequence, climate change has become a real threat and security of energy supply is worsening. EU greenhouse gas emissions will exceed the 1990 level by 2% in 2010 and by 5% in 20302. EU dependence on imported energy will increase from the current 50% to 65% by 2030.

Given the severity of the threats for the European Union, the Commission in its Communication "An Energy Policy for Europe" proposes a strategic energy policy objective: by 2020, the EU will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels in a manner compatible with its competitiveness objectives. In addition, according to the Commission Communication "Limiting Climate Change to 2°C - Policy Options for the EU and the World for 2020 and Beyond", by 2050 global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 50% compared to 1990 levels, implying reductions in industrialised countries of 60 to 80%.

A Vision of Europe's Energy Future

To turn towards security and sustainability, Europe's energy system must rapidly progress on four main fronts:

• The efficient conversion and use of energy in all sectors of the economy, coupled with decreasing energy intensity;
• The diversification of the energy mix in favour of renewables and low-carbon conversion technologies for electricity, heating and cooling;
• The decarbonisation of the transport system through switching to alternative fuels;
• Full liberalisation and interconnection of energy systems, incorporating 'smart' information and communication technologies to provide a resilient and interactive (customers/ operators) service network.

The Annex to this Communication presents an independent overview of the energy technologies that can contribute to achieving these goals, as well as the vision statements of the European Technology Platforms in the energy field. Together, they enable a tentative picture to be built up of how the energy technology landscape could evolve.