Consultation: | FYEG General Assembly 2022 |
---|---|
Agenda item: | 4. Resolutions |
Status: | Published |
Submitted: | 06/24/2022, 15:44 |
History: | Version 1 |
R16new: ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE: Towards a truly interconnected and sustainable energy market
Motion text
Since the creation of the European Union, energy has been a crucial aspect of
the European integration process, to the point that two of the three founding
Treaties revolve around the energy sector. In Articles 114 and 194 of the Treaty
on the Functioning of the European Union it is stated that Union policy on
energy shall aim, in a spirit of solidarity between Member States, to ensure
security of energy supply in the Union and promote the interconnection of energy
networks. The European Union (EU) also believes that the promotion and
protection of human rights around the world is a legitimate concern of the
international community. The EU is bound by its Treaty to promote human rights,
democratization and development.
Currently, the European energy market is regulated according to the TEN-E
regulation, which allows the Union to meet its core energy objectives by laying
down rules for identifying and the developing Projects of Common Interest
(PCIs). These will ensure the interoperability of trans-European energy
networks, the functioning of the internal energy market, the security of supply
and the integration of renewable forms of energy.
Despite this, however, the current energy markets in Europe are still very
regionalized. In part, this is due to a lack of energy infrastructure connecting
Member States. Improving the interconnectivity of the energy market has several
benefits: improved security supply, increased efficiency and increased
competitiveness. This aligns well with the energy strategy that EU has stated
previously, which is based on the pillars of securing an expanding supply of
energy from both domestic and foreign sources, developing a more competitive
internal energy market, and encouraging and supporting environmental protection
and development of clean and renewable energy sources. Additionally, the new
energy market of the EU is expected to encourage diversification and flexibility
to react to market conditions across the countries. It also provides a more
powerful bargaining position for European energy companies when sourcing energy
in global markets, since there is a larger range of options available with
regard to supply routes and there is better access to customers.
However, there are still many contradictions within EU energy policies and
fossil fuels phase out is being blocked by the Energy Charter Treaty. This
allows energy corporations to put forward compensation claims to states if the
former deem their investments and expected profits have been damaged by policy
changes. This has led to climate friendly policies becoming a financial risk for
all states as big fossil fuel companies are currently suing European states for
fossil fuel phase outs and demand several billion euros.
It is acknowledged that the EU has committed to comply to standards of democracy
and to support human rights in foreign relations, in accordance with the
founding principles of the Union itself, that is the principles of liberty,
democracy and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of
law. Given its current dependence on multiple energy suppliers, however, the
EU’s ability to promote its interests and values risks to be limited when energy
imports are supplied by countries with different values, even countries that
violate human rights. Human rights are considered of vital importance to the EU,
but when it comes to energy imports suddenly not.
While the Treaty on the European Union states that foreign policy should
'consolidate and support democracy, the rule of law, [and] human rights', the
European Union has been criticised for putting its needs for energy imports
before the aforementioned values: in accord with a study by the NGO Freedom
House, Norway is the only country out of the EU’s main oil and gas suppliers to
meet international standards of democracy, unlike the remainder (Nigeria,
assessed as “partly free”, and Russia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria,
Qatar which are defined as authoritarian states). Moreover, some if not most of
these countries have been known to violate human rights, in the energy sector,
but outside of that as well. By importing energy from these countries, these
regimes profit from European money, which does nothing to stop the abuse of
human rights by these regimes. However, it is possible to change the EU energy
market. For example, the European Parliament has instated several sanctions
against Russia and is debating issuing even heavier sanctions, but is yet to
accept an energy boycott at the moment of writing. Clearly, it is possible for
countries in and outside the EU to take action against authoritarian governments
when it comes to upholding our values, including the respect for (fundamental)
human rights.
Not only would the European Union benefit from an increased energy independence
in reference to human rights and democracy, it would also strengthen energy
security and contribute profitably to the project of decarbonisation of the
energy sector. It is time to clearly condemn dependence on energy imported from
countries with authoritarian regimes and that contribute to the violations of
fundamental human rights.
The current situation does not only imply the EU is financing authoritarian
regimes as well as the Russian war against Ukraine, but it is also allowing
Energy Companies to attain huge profits at the expense of consumers. Energy
prices are rising exponentially, while fossil fuel companies are making record
profits. Governments spend millions of tax money on subsidizing them. At the
same time, the increasing inflation makes basic needs a luxury, while wages are
drastically losing value. At this moment, many people cannot pay for their basic
needs, don’t know how to pay their energy bills and homelessness is on the rise.
The economic system is deeply rotten, providing more and more money for the
richest companies that massively destroy our planet and human lives, while the
majority of peoples‘ living situations become more precarious than ever and
energy poverty spiking dramatically among countries. Although there is not one
common definition of energy poverty between Member States, it is generally
described as a situation in which households are unable to access essential
energy services. This can only be tackled by a drastic revolution of our energy
system. Only by phasing out fossil fuels by 2030 and massively increasing
subsidies, jobs and resources in renewable energies, the earth overheating can
be limited, while at the same time ensuring a democratization of the energy
system and the European independence from authoritarian regimes that are a
serious threat to human lives and human rights. Moreover, stronger and better-
connected energy infrastructure can go a long way in reducing energy poverty.
This can only be tackled by a drastic revolution of our energy system. We need
comprehensive European-wide reform of our energy policy - one that
intersectionally addresses both the energy transition and energy poverty - via
sweeping phase-outs of fossil fuel by 2030, the stopping of subsidies, and
comprehensive environmental taxes, complemented by pioneering action to
revolutionise and connect the European energy grid, redirect subsidies and
funding to renewable energies, limit and stabilise prices, and ensure all
households have access to affordable energy. Unprecedented times call for
unprecedented action, only in so doing can the earth overheating be limited,
while at the same time ensuring a democratisation of the energy system - one
that is coordinated, green, interconnected and based on solidarity; that is
independent from authoritarian regimes that are a serious threat to human lives
and human rights; and that ensures the right to energy is a right for all.
The Federation of Young European Greens, with regards to the goals expressed in
the EU Green Deal, calls on the EU and the governments of Member States to:
- Develop a legislative and policy framework to create a more interconnected
European energy market to assist and support the energy transition towards
renewable sources, with the aim of further improving storage and transfer
capacity and reducing costs and therefore prices in order to achieve
energy independence, by:- Granting the European Parliament, Commission and Council the
legislative authority to regulate the energy market and energy
infrastructure supranationally through EU legislation; - Initiating the grounds for legislation to regulate the international
European energy market and improve supranational connection between
energy markets of Member States, for example by establishing an
independent body to compile and assess the current bilateral energy
trade agreements between Member States and third countries, and to
assess the deficits and strengths in the energy infrastructure of
each Member State; - Pulling out of the Energy Charter Treaty as soon as possible and
stopping its further expansion - Enshrining the right to energy within the European Charter of Human
Rights and in European energy law.
- Granting the European Parliament, Commission and Council the
- Based on this framework, to implement and develop an interconnected and
improved energy infrastructure in Europe, as achieving this is an
essential step to ensure a functional and efficient European energy
market, as well as a necessity for more sustainable energy supply, by:- Investing in and facilitating the building of more energy
infrastructure in and between Member States with significant
infrastructure deficits to enable improved storage and sharing of
energy, such as but not limited to flexible power grids, better
demand-response technology, electric vehicle charging, and energy
storage; - Investing in improving energy infrastructure where it already
exists; - Implementing the connection of energy infrastructure across Member
States in order to facilitate the creation of a European energy
network; - Investing in and stimulating research on sustainable technologies
such as, but not limited to, energy reduction, energy storage and
energy production; - Offering targeted assistance and investment support to ensure energy
infrastructure has similar quality across Member States.
- Investing in and facilitating the building of more energy
- Based on this framework, to implement and develop a Europe-wide energy
strategy for a transition to a green and just energy system policy that
addresses energy poverty by:- Developing just transition plans which rapidly phase out fossil fuel
usage while minimising the socio-economic disruptions to workers and
communities; - Ensuring that all people, especially those with lower income, have
access to energy by implementing effective measures that keep energy
prices affordable as well as energy supply sufficient, such as a
moratorium on energy bills until energy supply and inflation rates
are stabilised, a cap on energy prices, and comprehensive storage
and connection infrastructure as proposed above; - Redirecting all fossil fuel subsidies into renewable energy projects
on state as well as consumer-level, while ensuring that this is
complemented by measures that guarantee access to energy, especially
of low income households, such as those proposed in 3.2; - Implementing Europe-wide taxes. Firstly, increased taxes
specifically on fossil fuel companies as well as a windfall tax and
caps on their profits. Secondly, more broadly, a carbon tax on
corporations throughout Europe for their emissions within and
outside Europe. The resulting funds should be directed to measures
addressing energy poverty, energy infrastructure and the energy
transition.
- Developing just transition plans which rapidly phase out fossil fuel
With regards to the violation of human rights by the governments of states such
as, but not limited to, the Russian Federation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates, FYEG calls on the EU and the governments of European
countries to:
- Condemn in the strongest terms the violation of human rights by
authoritarian governments of energy-exporting states;
- Based on these violations of human rights to aim for independence from
importing energy from these states via the ending of current energy trade
agreements as soon as possible;
- Henceforth ensure that any future energy trade agreement is contingent to
a set of minimal standards including but not limited to respect of human
rights and rule of law wherein:- States which breach the most egregious violations of human rights
will no longer be considered as viable options to import energy
from, whereas - States which fall short of meeting the minimal standards yet abiding
by a commitment to improve their respect for, among others, human
rights and rule of law will be considered, and - The assessment of the fulfilment of said criteria will be conducted
by an independent body.
- States which breach the most egregious violations of human rights