Energy and Research
From my perspective, this was a busy Strasbourg week with a strong
energy theme to it. On Monday, however, we had an ITRE (Industry,
Research and Energy) committee meeting to discuss the Financial
Perspective (the budget limits for 2007 – 2013) and how it impinges on
the 7th Framework Programme of European Research. After 1 ½ hours debate
the answer remained open because we need to see the Commission’s revised
proposals in light of the budget deal stitched together by Blair in
December.
Wake up call
On Tuesday there was a statement by Council and Commission followed by a
brief debate on the gas supply issue and the dispute between Gazprom in
Russia and Naftogaz in Ukraine over the price the latter should pay and
how much transit fees for gas going to the EU should cost the Russians.
The whole affair served as a wake up call to remind the wider public how
dependent we in Western Europe are on gas imports from the east. I had
two minutes in the debate.
Last gasps for the Constitution?
Also on Tuesday I had several meetings with the Austrians as they now
hold the Presidency. Unfortunately they have taken it into their heads
to attempt resuscitation of the draft European Constitution so will
doubtless waste energy on flogging that particular dead horse. My real
bone of contention is their paranoia about nuclear energy, which they
are able to indulge because they have lots of hydroelectric and wood
burning power. An uphill mission to induce a change of heart, I fear.
Security of Supply
Wednesday, we had an informal meeting of my committee (that means
without interpretation and all in English) with Commissioner Piebalgs
who is responsible for energy. Doing without translation helps move the
debate along better but is tough on those who don’t have any English.
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At any rate we had a good going over the ground on
this general issue of security of supply and our vulnerability to
interruption.
Carpe Diem
All this attention being focused on energy supplies can only be a
good thing in making people aware of the issues and learning about all
the things we need to be getting on with doing, such as measures to
promote energy efficiency, such as building more interconnector
pipelines, such as getting started on the next generation of nuclear
power stations and encouraging renewable energy while being sensible
about what sort and where it is located.
Gauging reaction
The previous week I had a meeting with the Chief Executive of Paks,
the Hungarian electricity utility, to hear of their hopes and plans for
building a new reactor. This summer in June the European Energy Forum,
of which I am Chairman, aims to organise a Regional Parliamentary
Conference in Riga (Latvia) on Baltic energy issues which will be mainly
focused on what to replace the Ignalina nuclear power plant with and,
you guessed it, a modern design reactor is the favoured option. The
sooner we get on with it in the UK the better.
Energy efficiency
Next week i.e. after this January Strasbourg, I am chairing a Joint
Hearing in the hemicycle or main chamber of the Parliament in Brussels
on the topic of energy efficiency. Before Christmas I seemed to spend a
great deal of time signing letters of invitation to all the national
parliaments of the EU Member States in a range of languages asking their
energy oriented members to attend.
Gathering momentum
This will be an interesting exercise and if it goes well, should
maintain the momentum of energy issues being high up the agenda. |
Comment
For Conservative MEPs, there has been an undercurrent swirling around
the Parliament as a result of all the press coverage and comment about
the only policy commitment given by Dave Cameron during the leadership
contest, namely to take us out of the European Peoples Party – European
Democrats (EPP-ED) group immediately after his election. So far, all
that has happened is lots of rumours flying around based on a good deal
of misinformation driven by those few of our colleagues who have long
been obsessed by this matter.
So, in case readers would be interested in some background information
on this, *I am attaching some briefing notes to help explain the
difference between the trans-national EPP party (which has all these
policy objectives that alarm people, which is why we do not belong to
it, contrary to what the Daily Telegraph et alii would have you believe)
and the EPP-ED political group in the European Parliament, a coalition
of many parties.
We are living in interesting times on the political scene at home. What
is going on in our party as well as the public perception of us under
our new leader is exciting, encouraging and positive. Especially as the
LibDems are in a bit of a turmoil being nice to each other at the moment
and the Labour Government has educational difficulties!
However, I do hope that Dave, in his orgy of repudiating policies and
new image making, does not cast us so far adrift from our core support
as to create an opportunity for UKIP or some other party of the far
right to poach more of our supporters while the floating voters stay
floating and Tory stay at homes stay at home still.
I know some Tories don’t like the taunts of UKIP about the EPP link,
possibly not knowing why we are in the EPP-ED yet not members of the EPP,
but they should consider the open goal for Labour and LibDems to
ridicule us for leaving the centre right of European politics for the
far right margin. A case, perhaps, of the fire being much worse than the
frying pan?
* Download attachments by clicking on the links below:
(Word docs)
MEPs by Member State and Political Group 236k
EPP ED
briefing 54k
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