The economy today
The European Commission caught between energy emergency and climate emergency
Audio 03:57
The European Commission's plan called "RePowerEU" aims to reduce dependence on Russian gas, as well as to redouble efforts on renewable energies.
© AFP
By: Aabla Jounaïdi Follow
4 mins
Among its many implications, the war in Ukraine is forcing the European Union to get rid of its dependence on Russian hydrocarbons as quickly as possible, even if it means taking the risk of falling into dependence on other sources of gas elsewhere in the world, in the United United for example.
Several environmental NGOs are alarmed at this, while Europe must also accelerate its energy transition in order to meet the climate challenge.
On May 18, the European Commission presented ambitious proposals that attempt to reconcile its seemingly contradictory objectives.
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Entitled “RePowerEU”, this Commission plan aims to respond to these two urgent needs.
First, the reduction of dependence on Russian gas while guaranteeing European supply at the best price.
In the short and medium term, this means creating new gas routes in Europe.
For this, 10 billion euros are provided for in the Commission's proposal.
They would be invested in infrastructure, gas terminals in Germany, Finland and pipelines in southern Europe to bring gas from the United States, Qatar and elsewhere.
Several environmental NGOs believe that this money should above all go to the deployment of renewable energies to give themselves the chance of achieving the objectives that the EU set itself last year in its climate law.
Namely reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
In its proposals, the European Commission nevertheless revises its ambitions in renewable energies upwards
It is even the other pillar of this plan.
Even if the NGOs would like it to do more, the European Union has an even more ambitious objective than last year.
The Commission envisages that no longer 40, but 45% of its supplies in 2030 should come from renewable energies.
This would require the doubling of photovoltaic installations within 3 years, and the imposition in particular of solar roofs on commercial and public buildings, then residential buildings under construction.
The objectives for wind power have also been revised upwards.
The EU wants wind to be the source of 50% of its electricity production by 2050, three times more than today.
The Commission also wants to remove the constraints that currently exist in the field of renewable energies
Administrative constraints are not the least.
The Commission intends to remedy this by simplifying the authorization procedures for solar and wind projects.
Building permits, impact studies... Currently, there are often very long delays that manufacturers complain about.
Another problem that has been rising in recent months is the supply of equipment to deploy these projects.
In terms of renewable energies, the value chains are global and are currently under pressure.
Competition is fierce between buyers of equipment, particularly for solar, whose panel manufacturers are still in Asia.
In this area too, the EU will have to equip itself with the means of industrial reconquest.
Especially if it really intends to ensure the rise of renewable energies.
It remains for the States and the European Parliament to agree...
The energy crisis caused by the recovery in demand post-Covid-19 and the conflict in Ukraine imposes the development of renewables as the most rational option.
Renewables are a strategic asset, said MEP Pascal Canfin recently.
The majority of MEPs support a strengthening of EU action in this area.
But energy policies are a national competence and the debates between the Member States of the Council on May 30 and 31 promise to be vigorous.
Especially since the massive investments, estimated by the Commission at 210 billion euros, will have to be drawn from already existing resources, those of the recovery plans.
But basically, what is at stake, remind the environmental NGOs, is the credibility of the EU in the fight against climate change 6 months from the next COP in Egypt.
► IN BRIEF
A record that the EDF group would have done well: 28 of its nuclear reactors are shut down
In question, especially maintenance operations and routine checks.
But also the corrosion of the pipes which ensure the cooling of the installations in the event of an accident.
This will inevitably lower electricity production and therefore increase the amount of bills for French consumers in 2023. For the time being, EDF has revised the losses for its profits in 2022, around 18.5 billion euros.
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