Renewable energy: EU sets bar too high

While all member states agree that 27 percent of our energy must be renewable by 2030, the European Parliament has created unease by setting the bar much higher. “Our families and enterprises need stability. We cannot simply strike down another path every year,” European Parliament member Anneleen Van Bossuyt, who follows this controversial issue closely for the ECR The N-VA is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), a conservative, eurorealistic parliamentary group in the European Parliament. The N-VA shares their realistic view of the European project and also advocates for the correct and intensive application of the subsidiarity principle. For example, we must not be afraid to ask ourselves if it would be better to leave certain European initiatives to the Member States. The N-VA also identifies with the emphases that the ECR places on the social-economic issues. Since the 2014 elections, the ECR has become the third largest parliamentary group in the European Parliament. ECR group, states. “Renewable energy’s image is smirched by Parliament acting tough without considering the possible ramifications.”

Only aiming for renewable energy has little purpose in Flanders: there is little space, wind turbines at sea are very expensive and only solar panels will not be sufficient to achieve the goals. “That is why we must aim for energy efficiency,” Anneleen Van Bossuyt thinks. “If everybody were to install a condensing boiler, we could save a quarter of our energy consumption. That corresponds to forty percent of our annual production of nuclear energy.”

But it’s largely the left-wing groups who only emphasise very expensive renewable energy. “That’s how they miss the reality that you can already achieve a lot by using existing energy more efficiently,” Anneleen Van Bossuyt explains. “No additional taxes are needed for that, and it can be felt immediately in the budgets of our families and companies.”