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Energy deals with third countries: MEPs approve rules on EU Commission help
The rules requiring EU member states to inform the EU Commission of their plans to negotiate energy supply deals with third countries before opening negotiations were approved by MEPs on Thursday. This is the first item of Energy Union legislation to be completed.
"This legislation will ensure the energy security of the member states, creating effective ex-ante mechanisms for the European Commission to check draft agreements on gas and oil supplies, and to verify their compliance both with the EU law and with energy security needs", said rapporteur Zdzisław Krasnodebski (ECR, PL) whose draft text was approved by 542 votes to 87, with 19 abstentions.
"This legislation will ensure the energy security of the member states, creating effective ex-ante mechanisms for the European Commission to check draft agreements on gas and oil supplies, and to verify their compliance both with the EU law and with energy security needs", said rapporteur Zdzisław Krasnodebski (ECR, PL) whose draft text was approved by 542 votes to 87, with 19 abstentions.
State of the Energy Union debate
"Accelerating the modernisation of Europe's entire economy, making it low carbon and efficient in energy and resources" are key aims of Energy Union legislation, said Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič in Wednesday's plenary debate.
Some MEPs welcomed the Clean Energy package, which forms about 80% of the Energy Union legislation, but others thought it insufficiently ambitious.
Others warned that efforts to achieve climate change objectives should not obscure the need to boost competitiveness, or argued that energy security is as important as clean energy. Several stressed the need to promote renewables.
Some MEPs welcomed the Clean Energy package, which forms about 80% of the Energy Union legislation, but others thought it insufficiently ambitious.
Others warned that efforts to achieve climate change objectives should not obscure the need to boost competitiveness, or argued that energy security is as important as clean energy. Several stressed the need to promote renewables.
Boost consumer power in the energy market, urges Industry and Energy Committee
Consumers should be given more power in the energy market, said Industry and Energy Committee MEPs on Thursday. They recommend schemes such as collective buying, home power generation by households, better price comparison tools for everyone and making it easier to switch energy providers and tariffs. In a non-binding resolution intended as an input to Energy Union legislation to be tabled by the EU Commission, MEPs also call for EU funds for energy efficiency to better focus on energy poverty.
Trade secrets: protecting businesses, safeguarding the right to information
New EU rules to help firms win legal redress against theft or misuse of their trade secrets were voted by Parliament on Thursday. MEPs ensured that freedom of expression and information will be protected and that the rules will not restrict the work of journalists.
"With one company out of every five a victim of theft of trade secrets every year, harmonisation should allow the creation of a safe and trustworthy environment for European companies, which will see their intangible assets and know-how secured", said rapporteur Constance le Grip (EPP, FR). "I've also been fighting to ensure that the safeguards laid down out this text to protect the work of journalists and whistle-blowers are as real and as unambiguous as can be", she added.
The directive, informally agreed with ministers before the vote, introduces an EU-wide definition of "trade secret", meaning information which is secret, has commercial value because it is secret, and has been subject to reasonable steps to keep it secret.
"With one company out of every five a victim of theft of trade secrets every year, harmonisation should allow the creation of a safe and trustworthy environment for European companies, which will see their intangible assets and know-how secured", said rapporteur Constance le Grip (EPP, FR). "I've also been fighting to ensure that the safeguards laid down out this text to protect the work of journalists and whistle-blowers are as real and as unambiguous as can be", she added.
The directive, informally agreed with ministers before the vote, introduces an EU-wide definition of "trade secret", meaning information which is secret, has commercial value because it is secret, and has been subject to reasonable steps to keep it secret.
- Full press release (pdf) (PDF - 316 KB)
- Read the full press release on the compromise reached in December
- Adopted text will be available here (14.04.2016)
- Video recording of debate (click on 13.04.2016)
- Video of the press conference
- EbS+ (13.04.2016)
- EP Think Tank: Protecting businesses' trade secrets
- Audiovisual material for professionals
- Text of the compromise with the Council
- Press release on committee vote (28.01.2016)
- Profile of rapporteur Constanze Le Grip (EPP, FR)
- Procedure file
Towards a Digital Single Market Act – outcome of the vote in plenary
Parliament's recommendations for measures to improve EU consumers' access to goods and services on the internet will be voted in plenary after 12.30. MEPs want a swift adoption of the 16 digital single market initiatives announced by the Commission last May.
After the vote, at 15.00, the co-rapporteurs will give a press conference outlining the main points of the report. The press conference will be webstreamed on EP Live and the recording will be available on video on demand (VOD).
After the vote, at 15.00, the co-rapporteurs will give a press conference outlining the main points of the report. The press conference will be webstreamed on EP Live and the recording will be available on video on demand (VOD).
- Full press release (pdf) (PDF - 39 KB)
- Report tabled to plenary - Towards a Digital Single Market Act
- Press release on the vote in the committees, on 14.12.2015
- Profile of Internal Market Committee rapporteur Evelyne Gebhardt (S&D, DE)
- Profile of Industry Committee rapporteur Kaja Kallas (ALDE, ET)
- Procedure file
A balanced, ambitious and consumer-oriented energy union, asked MEPs
On Tuesday morning, MEPs discussed with the Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner for Energy Maros Sefcovic the recently released "State of the Energy Union Report", tackling issues such as the balance between industry and decarbonisation, the challenges of Nord Stream project to the energy security, and the need for ambitious interconnectivity on the European energy and electricity market.
- Full press release (pdf) (PDF - 922 KB)
- Press release on committee vote (11.11.2015) – "Towards a European Energy Union"
- Press release on committee vote (11.11.2015) - "Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target - Making Europe's electricity grid fit for 2020"
- Profile of rapporteur Marek Józef Gróbarczyk (ECR, PL)
- Profile of rapporteur Peter Eriksson (Greens/EFA, SE)
- Statement of Jerzy Buzek, chairman of Parliament's committee on Industry and Energy on the "State of the Energy Union" (18.11.2015)
- Procedure file - "Towards a European Energy Union"
- Procedure file - "Achieving the 10% electricity interconnection target - Making Europe's electricity grid fit for 2020"
- EC press release and links "The Energy Union on track to deliver" (18.11.2015)
Joint debate on anti-dumping measures and ways to protect the EU base metals
Anti-dumping measures and sustainable initiatives to support the European base metals industry, including steel, will be the topics in a joint debate with Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska on Tuesday afternoon, starting around 19h. A draft resolution prepared by Edouard Martin (S&D, FR) is scheduled for a plenary vote in December.
Industry Committee MEPs call for "the revision of the two regulations on trade defence instruments (TDI)", and suggest "an initial review of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy complaints".
They also deplored "the fact that the legislative proposal on the modernisation of TDI is at a standstill in the Council despite the strong support which Parliament has expressed for tougher measures against unfair import from third countries".
Industry Committee MEPs call for "the revision of the two regulations on trade defence instruments (TDI)", and suggest "an initial review of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy complaints".
They also deplored "the fact that the legislative proposal on the modernisation of TDI is at a standstill in the Council despite the strong support which Parliament has expressed for tougher measures against unfair import from third countries".
User-friendly European public administrations adapted to the digital era
Common benchmarks for European public administrations, the creation of favourable contexts for citizens and SMEs, and comprehensive solutions adapted to the current digital context are the main features encouraged by the 4th interoperability programme (so-called ISA2), approved by the EP on Wednesday evening.
The program continues the 20 years of development and improvement of administrations' interoperability in the EU, and the vote in plenary approves the deal struck with the Council in September.
The program continues the 20 years of development and improvement of administrations' interoperability in the EU, and the vote in plenary approves the deal struck with the Council in September.
MEPs debated new net neutrality law and its effects on zero rating
In a debate with Nicolas Schmit of the Luxembourg presidency and Digital economy commissioner Günther Oettinger, MEPs discussed whether the recently adopted telecoms regulation is enough to protect citizens against feared negative consequences of zero rating - a practice used by some internet firms to promote certain content, services or apps by not charging consumers for using them.
MEPs welcome 10% electricity connection target, but demand evidence-based update
EU consumers could save 12-40 billion EUR annually by 2030 if EU had a fully integrated internal electricity market, ITRE MEPs said in a non-legislative resolution voted on Tuesday. While recognising the EU target to raise EU interconnection level for electricity to 10 % by 2020, MEPs criticise that this target was not set "on the basis of scientific evidence". As a remedy, the regions should agree on "ambitious and evidence-based" complementary targets before 2030, MEPs say.