Energy
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| Security of supply |
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The European Union is one of the world's largest importers of oil, gas and coal and its dependence on
imports is forecast to grow steadily. The Commission Green Paper on security of energy supply, issued in November 2000,
predicted the EU's energy dependency would rise to 70% in 2030. |
Although a major player on the world market, the European Union has no power in world energy pricing and lacks satisfactory domestic policies for preventing supply crises. Indeed, the geopolitical aspects of Europe's external energy policy remain within the competence of EU member states.
Today’s growing pressure on energy is driving the issue up the political agenda. Curbing the growth in energy demand and mobilising support for renewables have become two priorities for the European Union.
As the largest energy consumer among EU manufacturing sectors, the chemical industry is actively participating in the debate over the security of energy supply. It advocates for:
- diversification of energy sources at competitive prices with market players being able to decide about the energy mix
- an integrated EU energy policy which supports the building of pipeline systems for fast transport and switching of sources in case of disruptions
- the full liberalisation of Europe’s energy markets to remedy possible energy shortages in one region by drawing on supplies from another. This requires free flow of energy within the EU and associated investments in infrastructure.
- an intensive and cooperative dialogue between the Commission and large industrial consumers such as the chemical industry as one of the best precautions against energy supply disruptions.
For its part, the European chemical industry is actively contributing to security of
supply through cogeneration (it is a major investor in cogeneration plants),
energy efficiency and conservation. See energy efficiency section.
Cefic contact: Lena Recknagel
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