Parliamentary Assembly
Assemblée parlementaire

Doc. 10823
27 January 2006

Energy savings as a way out of Europe’s energy crisis

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mrs Veenendaal and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1. For too long, Europe’s, and the world’s, energy debate has focused on ways of increasing energy production in order to cope with rising energy demand. Generally overlooked, however, has been the huge potential for energy savings through better efficiency as regards its use that exists in many Council of Europe member states, especially in central and eastern and south-eastern Europe.

2. As the wide differences in energy efficiency between European countries amply show, energy savings lower energy consumption and prices and ensure continued supply much more efficiently than does additional energy production. Furthermore, energy savings benefit energy producing countries and those to whom they may export, since the energy resources then last longer. Energy exporting countries can thereby benefit from additional revenue generated by the enhanced sales of their resources. Finally, energy production and sales do not in themselves give rise to much economic activity, including employment, whereas investments in energy savings do.

3. The Assembly in consequence asks that Council of Europe member states devote considerably more attention to the huge potential for energy savings that exists in many countries before they take costly measures to increase production - one method being to follow the examples set by the countries most advanced in this regard.

 

Signed 1:

VEENENDAAL, Jelleke, Netherlands, ALDE
BOKERIA, Giorgi, Georgia, ALDE
GACEK, Urszula, Poland, EPP/CD
GORIS, Stef, Belgium, ALDE
HARVEY, Nick, United Kingdom, ALDE
HAUPERT, Norbert, Luxembourg, EPP/CD
NAKASHIDZÉ, Nino, Georgia, ALDE
NEGELE, Gebhard, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD
ØSTERGAARD, Morten, Denmark, ALDE
van THIJN, Ed, Netherlands, SOC
van WINSEN, Bart, Netherlands, EPP/CD
VAREIKIS, Egidijus, Lithuania, EPP/CD
WILLE, Paul, Belgium, ALDE

1        SOC: Socialist Group
       EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
       ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
       EDG: European Democratic Group
       UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
       NR: not registered in a group