Waveplam

The ‘European strategic energy technology plan'

Within its communication of 22nd November 2007 entitled ‘A European strategic Energy Technology Plan – Towards a low carbon future’, the EC presents a strategic plan to accelerate the development and deployment of cost-effective low carbon technologies. This plan comprises measures related to planning, implementation, resources and international cooperation in the field of energy technologies.

The set-plan aims to help achieve the European objectives as regards climate change, security of energy supply and competitiveness of the European industry.

In the short term the aim is to increase research and development, to reduce cost and improve performance of existing Technologies, by encouraging the commercial implementation of these technologies.

In the longer term, the aim is to support the development of a new generation of low carbon technologies.

A steering Group, created in 2008 and comprising of representatives of the Member states, will develop joint actions, making resources available and evaluating progress.

A major element of the set plan is an increase in both, financial and human, resources. Investment in research and innovation must be increased at Community level and at national level.

The European Economic Recovery Plan

The European Economic Recovery Plan has two main pillars :

- a major injection of purchasing power into the economy, to boost demand and stimulate confidence;

- direct short term action to reinforce Europe’s competitiveness in the longer term.

In pursuing these aims, the European Economic Recovery Plan is designed to:

– Exploit synergies and avoid negative spill-over effects through co-ordinated action;

– Draw on all available policy levers, fiscal policies, structural and financial market reforms

and external action;

– Ensure full coherence between immediate actions and the EU's medium- to longer term

objectives;

- Take full account of the global nature of the problem and shape the EU's contribution to

international responses.

The EERP has a budget of 3.5 bn Euro available for clean energies. A further 500 million Euro is earmarked for tackling new agricultural challenges such as climate change, renewable energy, water management and restructuring the dairy sector.

Allthough EC had already published their priorities, mainly CCs, offshore wind and gas & electricity interconnection earlier, several member states have objected that the budget distribution is too unbalanced. As a result EC may decide to move part of the budget to other res.

It is proposed that the EEPR cover 80% of the investment costs of technology for capturing and storing carbon dioxide. If instead 50% of the costs were covered (like the EEPR proposes for wind and interconnector projects), then about 470 million Euro could be made available for financing renewable energy technologies besides offshore wind.

EU-OEA