18-19 July Informal Environment Council

Date: 23/07/1998

THE need to increase the EU's use of renewable energy sources was the main topic for discussion at the talks. Ministers agreed that renewables offered greater diversity, and therefore security for the Union's energy supplies, reduced pollution, created jobs, were more 'cost transparent' than fossil fuels and would help the EU to reduce its overall emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2). On the CO2 question, ministers also pointed out that renewables had a key role to play in helping the Union to meet its pledges to reduce production of greenhouse gases, made at last December's climate change talks in Kyoto.

ENVIRONMENT ministers said they subscribed to the European Commission's view that the use of renewables should be doubled within the Union by 2010. Europe currently derives 6&percent; of its electricity from renewable energy sources, and all sides agreed to make the necessary effort to increase this to 12&percent;. Many delegations put forward specific national plans setting out how they intended to make more use of renewables. Hydroelectric power could be exploited in Austria, biomass (vegetable matter) had a role to play in Sweden, Finland and Austria, wind power in Denmark and the UK, and solar energy in the southern EU member states.

CRITICISM was levelled at ministerial colleagues in the Energy Council for what was seen as the low funding awarded to two pro-renewables programmes. The Danish and Dutch delegations both argued that subsidies to the fossil fuel sector would need to be cut if renewables were to have any real chance of becoming established. They also pointed out that at present there were restrictions on the amount of state aid which could be granted to renewable energy sources. Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard informed the Council that the Commission was currently discussing a reform of the state aid rules.

ELSEWHERE, ministers agreed on the need to integrate environmental considerations into other areas of EU policy. They said that as well as ensuring that their colleagues in ministries responsible for areas such as transport, agriculture and energy took account of 'green' considerations, finance ministers also needed to show they were environmentally aware. But delegates admitted that it would nevertheless be quite difficult “to put flesh” on the theory of integration.

DESPITE the recognition that introducing concrete measures to ensure integration would prove difficult, a variety of ideas were put forward on the issue. Suggestions included setting up a horizontal working party to include members of the EU 'troika' (the present, past and future presidencies), allowing environment ministers to take part in meetings of other Councils, and inviting European Commissioners other than environmental supremo Ritt Bjerregaard to attend meetings of the Environment Council.