MEPs quiz the Commission on the EU’s energy autonomy and the strategic importance of renewables, energy interconnections and efficiency.

debate

plenary session

energy efficiency (T)

energy union (T)

Energy (T2)

NICA, Dan (S&D, RO)

HETMAN, Krzysztof (EPP, PL)

BLOSS, Michael (Greens/EFA, DE)

SIMSON, Kadri (EE, EC)

EP question time (T)

Europe’s Energy Autonomy: extracts from the debate

Title: Europe&rsquo;s Energy Autonomy: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy, - And since the war began this February, this is even more imminent that we have to scale up our clean transition. We cannot replace Russian fossil fuels

SOUNDBITE (English), Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy, - As you know, we have been preparing for this situation that there will be a full or partial disruption from Gazprom site since the beginning of this year. So now this is a clear testimony that we cannot regard Gazprom as a reliable supplier and we don't know which country will be the next one. That means that from our side, the commission point of view, we have to, well, secure that our member states are prepared that they do have contingency plans in place and that we can find alternative suppliers.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Dan NICA (S&amp;D, RO), -What about this coming winter? What will happen? Will there be a supplier of gas and electricity in Europe who'll be able to take the edge off those electricity bills? The citizens of the EU, We're seeing speculation with prices increasing tenfold. So what can we do for our consumers? They've suffering in terms of putting food on the table in order to heat their premises.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy, - I am very grateful to the European Parliament that you decided developed for extraordinary procedure so that that we can guide member states in the way that they take up the measures and fill their underground storage at least 80 percent before the next heating season starts and fill it at the level of eighty percent. So this actually gives us some safeguards before the next heating season.

SOUNDBITE (German), Michael BLOSS (Greens/EFA, DE), - And it would be very stupid not to do this in Europe to produce them in Europe. So why don't we get an IPCA, a project for solar industry in Europe?

SOUNDBITE (English), Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy, -You can expect from our side also that there will be a solar energy strategy, including a European solar rooftops initiative. And we are looking into together with the industry, just a couple of weeks ago, I had a chance to participate that the solar summit, what we can do to bring back the manufacturing to Europe because we don't want to create a replace one dependency with another. So we have to bring back manufacturing also to Europe. And this is possible.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Krzysztof HETMAN (EPP, PL), - My question was whether the Ukraine, the European Commission is going to create an instrument through which we are going to buy energy, the energy supplies from the Ukraine. And we want to buy it for not only for Poland, but for the whole of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy, - After the necessary technical steps have been made and Ukraine is fully synchronised with our agreed, then they have full right to participate in our market. and their energy production companies can earn the same revenues as the other market participants. So we actually don't need to create any additional pooty that accommodates it. They they can participate in our energy market as all the rest of us can.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kadri SIMSON, European Commissioner for Energy, - On energy efficiency, the commission is elaborating a union wide energy savings campaign aimed at strengthening contribution of energy efficiency and energy savings. Because there are, well, millions of small steps that each and every household can take. And all together, they will bring us huge savings.