To: Energy Ministers of EU Member States
Cc: Commission President, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal and
Commissioners for Environment, Transport, Energy, Industry; the Director General of DG Climate;
the Chairs of the European Parliament Environment Committee; Industry, Research and Energy
Committee; Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee; and Budgetary Control Committee;
and
Energy Attachés in Permanent Representations to the EU
Brussels, 8 September 2022
Input to Extraordinary Meeting of the Council (Transport, Telecommunications and Energy), 9
September 2022
Dear Ministers
On behalf of the European Environmental Bureau, I am writing to share with you our views on some of the
issues on the agenda of the forthcoming extraordinary meeting of the TTE Transport, Telecommunication
and Energy Council. We share the concern of the European Commission that high fossil fuel prices are
creating challenges for many households across the Union. Direct support for affected households appears
important to ensure social cohesion and continued support for EU foreign policy agenda. However, we are
concerned about measures that do not address the challenges of reduced availability of fossil fuels while
compromising our climate commitments and jeopardising our natural environment. Subsidies and price caps
risk increasing consumption, endangering climate targets and creating security of supply issues.
We therefore call upon the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council to:
1. Implement consistent, common, EU-wide measures for greater energy efficiency: speed limits on
highways and extra urban roads, limiting the extent of heating and cooling across both public buildings
and homes.
2. Ensure that temporary measures on gas markets and infrastructures do not lock our economy into
expensive technologies that contradict our climate commitments: The lifespans of the gas-related
infrastructure projects proposed over the past months are inconsistent with the EU's climate targets.
3. Provide EU citizens with access to climate-friendly, non-polluting heating and transport technologies, in
line both with environmental concerns and households’ reduced budgets. Highly subsidised public
transport options have been widely popular where implemented.
4. Promote energy sufficiency: shaving peak consumption by shifting consumption patterns to off-peak
times should be a priority. Promoting public transport over private transport, teleworking, and the
efficient use of office space should equally be priorities.
5. Introduce oversight over the supply chain of biomass being sourced for heating and energy: the increase
in demand for biomass caused by high fossil fuel prices must not lead to an over-exploitation of EU
forests, which have been severely hit by this summer’s exceptional draught and fires.
6. Commit to taxing windfall profits to finance the above measures and ensure fairness and public support,
building on the EC proposal.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of these points that build on scientific evidence and practical
experience and will support EU and national legitimacy in the eyes of the public in these very difficult times.
Yours sincerely,
Patrick ten Brink, Secretary General
European Environmental Bureau
● Rue des Deux Églises 14-16, 1000 Brussels, Belgium ● ☏ +32 228 91090 ●
[email protected] ● www.eeb.org
International non-profit association ● Association internationale sans but lucratif (AISBL) ● EC register for interest representatives:
ID number: 06798511314-27 ● BCE ID number: 0415.814.848 ● RPM Tribunal de l’entreprise francophone de Bruxelles
Saatja: EEB Secretary General <
[email protected]>
Saadetud: 08.09.2022 11:29
Koopia: Patrick Ten Brink <
[email protected]>; Patrizia Heidegger
<
[email protected]>; Luke Haywood <
[email protected]>; Davide
Sabbadin <
[email protected]>; Denise Godinho
<
[email protected]>; Emma Ernsth <
[email protected]>; Marie Amelie
Brun <
[email protected]>; Alberto Vela <
[email protected]>
Teema: EEB's input to Extraordinary Meeting of the Council (Transport,
Telecommunications and Energy), 9 September 2022
To: Energy Ministers of EU Member States
Cc: Commission President, Executive Vice-President for the European
Green Deal and
Commissioners for Environment, Transport, Energy, Industry; the Director
General of DG Climate;
the Chairs of the European Parliament Environment Committee; Industry,
Research and Energy
Committee; Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee; and Budgetary Control
Committee; and
Energy Attachés in Permanent Representations to the EU
Dear Minister, dear Attaché,
On behalf of Patrick ten Brink, European Environmental Bureaus Secretary
General, please find attached a letter regarding the EEBs input to
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council (Transport, Telecommunications and
Energy), 9 September 2022.
Kind regards,
Alina LukianovaSecretary
European Environmental BureauRue des Deux Eglises 14-16, B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 289 10 90
Email:
| | |
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is Europe's largest network of
environmental citizens organisations, standing for environmental justice,
sustainable development and participatory democracy.
EC register for interest representatives: Identification number
06798511314-27
International non-profit association - Association internationale sans
but lucratif (AISBL)
BCE identification number: 0415.814.848
RPM Tribunal de lentreprise francophone de Bruxelles
Our privacy policy can be found