working group
Energy policy

Realising the Solar Age in Europe

A large part of the global problems is caused by the fossile and nuclear energy system of today. 80% of all climate-gas emission and increasing radioactive pollution are caused by energy consumption. The battle about raw energy materials running short, firstly crude oil and natural gas, is one of the main causes for war already today. The uneven distribution of the usage of energy is one of the main causes for global injustice.

Renewable energies do not emit any noteworthy amounts of climate gas, they are free of radioactivity and available in all regions of the earth in large amounts. They alone will be able to still the hunger for energy of the developing and threshold countries for a sustainable development.

Together with the exploitation of energy-saving potentials and a turnaround in the traffic system, renewable energies are able to replace the fossil and nuclear energy system completely in some decades.

But for this purpose broad political general conditions are essential. They should be oriented on the political strategies of successful countries. Germany, Spain and Denmark have kicked off high growth rates in the electricity sector through minimum-price regulations like the German Renewable Energy Sources Act. Additional effects were achieved with support programmes and corresponding tax regulations.

For a Europe-wide strategy it is important to extend the successful political general frameworks of single nations on all countries. At the same time new general frameworks must be created on a EU-level: Abolition of the EURATOM treaty and introduction of a EURENEW treaty for renewable energies. Such a EURENEW treaty shall improve the conditions for Know-how transfer, education, launch and research for renewable energies.

The aim of the workgroup "Greening Energy" is to strengthen Green cooperation in energy policy, climate protection, anti-nuclear strategy and the promotion of renewable energies. There is surely a variety of experiences, visions and proposals in the different European countries and in the various Green organisations. It would be highly interesting to exchange ours view and visions, to stimulate each other and to discuss our differences.

It is important as well, to discuss central points of energy policy in the European Union now and in view of its implementation.

We propose to open the discussion now and via website, e-mail and internet. Intending this, we have summed up problems and questions in the following list which we regard as important to discuss and, if possible, to decide. We kindly ask you to react to the list. Do you agree with our points of view? What do you miss? What are you criticising? What are the central points in your Green energy policy? What should we discuss with priority in the Berlin EFGP-workgroup?

And if possible: send papers explaining your visions in climate protection, renewable energies, energy taxation, nuclear waste, EURATOM etc. We will publish your papers on this website, be it in English, French or whatever European language. Don`t hesitate to send us your views. So we can decide in time and beforehand what and how to discuss in Berlin.

Hartwig Berger/ Hans-Josef Fell, Berlin, January 2002

Dear friends in our European Green movement,

There are manifold and complex problems in the outset of a Green European energy policy. To have good discussions with concrete results we propose therefore an arrangement of our workshop in the following manner:

In the first hour we ask to form two sections, discussing separately about:
A. renewable energy
B. nuclear energy.

During the second hour the two groups should discuss together about:
C. energy tax and climate protection

Thirdly during the last half hour, we should sum up and evaluate our decisions and proposals in European Energy Policy, which will be presented at the plenary session of the EFGP-Congress next day, summarising the results of all workshops.

As chairmen of the group A. we propose:
Claude Turmes, MEP and Hans-Josef Fell, MP in Germany.

As Chairwomen of group A.:
Hiltrud Breyer, MEP and Michaele Hustedt, MP in Germany.

Group C.:
Hiltrud Breyer and Claude Tumes.

Summary:
Hartwig Berger

The problems and questions we think to deal with are summarised in the attached questionlist. We ask you to give reactions, criticism, supplements etc. Thus, we can already enter in discussions via internet.
It is important to change opinions and positions in Green energy policy beforehand. Prepared we can ask the EFGP-Congress to take concrete decisions.
Therefore we invite you to make proposals for common Green positions in energy policy, as soon as possible.

Hartwig Berger, Hans-Josef Fell

Here we would like to publish some back-up for our working group.

So far, please answer our questionlist to give us an idea of what we can discuss in Berlin and in which fields there is room for Europe-wide Green action.

Link to Questionlist (in rtf-format)

For any further questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with either one of us:

Hartwig Berger (Berlin): hartwig.berger@t-online.de
Hans-Josef Fell (member of Bundestag): hans-josef.fell@bundestag.de
Hiltrud Breyer (MEP): hbreyer@europarl.eu.int
Michaele Hustedt (member of Bundestag): michaele.hustedt@bundestag.de
Claude Turmes (MEP): cturmes@europarl.eu.int