"Energy independence for Europe" - Von der Leyen: Let's increase the supply of clean and domestically produced energy
The European Union must accelerate its drive to achieve energy independence in the face of rising fossil fuel prices. Speaking in the European Parliament, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that in just 60 days of conflict, the bill for fossil fuel imports has increased by over €27 billion.
"The way forward is clear, we must reduce our over-reliance on imported fossil fuels and increase our supply of clean, affordable and domestically produced energy. From renewables to nuclear power, in full respect of technology neutrality," von der Leyen declared.
According to her, member states with more low-carbon resources in their energy mix are less affected by the crisis.
"As a next step, we will present our Electrification Action Plan by the summer, with an ambitious target. In the current European budget, we have allocated almost €300 billion for energy, €95 billion is still available. Let's use this to make the switch to electricity, not only in transport, but also in industry and heating. This is not only a matter of affordability and competitiveness, but also of economic security," the head of the European Commission stressed.
She also highlighted the protection of household consumers and businesses in this situation. “There is a lesson we learned from the last crisis. Measures should only target the most vulnerable households and industries - and avoid increasing demand for gas and oil. Let me give you a figure: during the last crisis, only a quarter of the emergency support was targeted at vulnerable households and firms. More than €350 billion was spent on indefinite measures. This had a huge impact on Member States' finances and also undermined measures to protect those who need it most. Let us not make the same mistake again and focus our support where it matters most,” said Ursula von der Leyen in her speech to the European Parliament.
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