As Climate Action & Energy Commissioner, Miguel Arias Cañete is responsible for increasing Europe’s energy security by diversifying sources of energy imports and uniting Europe’s negotiating power in talks with non-EU countries.
In his role, Miguel seeks to advance energy infrastructure projects that will help to establish a European energy union. Miguel is also focused on advancing renewable energy to improve efforts on climate change. He proposes new EU laws and rules to implement the 2030 climate and energy framework, furthers the development of an EU policy for renewable energy, and continues to strengthen and promote the Emissions Trading System, the flagship of EU climate policy.
The European Union has only one energy challenge, but it is a very complex one: to achieve an affordable, secure and sustainable energy for our citizens. To that end, we have designed an Energy Union strategy with specific measures to address every aspect of the challenge.
Our energy will be more affordable if we foster competition in the energy markets, and that is why we are considering a reform of the retail market that, at the same time, will accommodate renewable energy in our energy mix and will put the energy consumer at the centre.
Our energy will be more secure if we diversify our suppliers, routes and sources of energy, and if we increase cooperation and interconnection between Member States. We are already building the necessary infrastructure and have created regional high-level groups to step up the pace in every region of the EU. As ever, a stronger and more united Europe is the solution.
And finally, our energy will be more sustainable because we are committed to the development of more efficient technologies and the long-term decarbonisation of our economy. Our targets for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and reduction of emissions are the most ambitious in the world. Global warming is the most pressing challenge that the world is facing now, and we are resolute to stop it.
The European Union and ASEAN share very similar origins. Both Europe and South East Asia had been devastated during World War II, their economies were recovering and the two regions were determined to contain external threats. European and South East Asian leaders needed to ensure a future of peace and stability in their countries, and this was only possible through solidarity and cooperation. Europe followed this path and reached the conclusion that integration was the solution to many of its problems. A more united Europe not only brought stability and prosperity, but it also allowed the Member States of the EU to speak with a stronger voice. In a globalized world nation states cannot compete on their own and the EU became their loudspeaker.
I think this could also be the case in Asia. In a context of growing regional tensions, integration can guarantee the necessary stability to keep up with the economic growth. The European Union has been the greatest achievement of Europeans during the 20th century, and a stronger and more united ASEAN could be the greatest achievement of this century for South East Asians.
As I said, the EU is highly committed to the development of cleaner and environmentally friendly technologies. But this does not respond to just a vague, utopian vision. We believe that green technologies are the smartest answer to many of the challenges the world is facing. Green technologies provide more intelligent ways of producing, smarter cities with cleaner air and less pollution, energy efficient homes, lower energy bills and cleaner sources of energy.
But we know that climate change is a global problem, and it is in everyone's interest to promote the development of these technologies internationally. For that reason, the EU is supporting the UN's Climate Technology Centre and Network which helps exchange information about best practices to increase market uptake of climate technologies in emerging economies and developing countries. Moreover, the EU has a number of bilateral agreements with its free trading partners that promote climate goals and the use of innovative energy technologies which include Singapore, Canada and South Korea, with negotiations currently ongoing with the US.
The Fukushima disaster was a wake-up call to strengthen the safety of nuclear power plants. The European Union noted the lessons learned in Japan and conducted a series of stress tests between 2011 and 2012 that we passed with flying colours. The conclusions drawn from these tests crystallized in the 2009 review of the Nuclear Safety Directive designed to strengthen the power and independence of the national regulatory authorities, to be better positioned to prevent accidents and radioactive emissions, and to increase the degree of transparency and involvement of the population in matters of nuclear safety. With the implementation of these measures, the EU has significantly strengthened its global leadership in this field.
The TTIP will surely open many new opportunities for trade between the US and the EU. This could be particularly true in the energy field, and that is why the European Commission has consistently called for the inclusion of an energy chapter in the treaty. Access to the US energy resources and to gas in particular would help in our diversification strategy, and therefore reinforce our security of supply. We would like to encourage the US to progressively lift its internal restrictions to exports and to take advantage of this new regulatory framework. But let me be clear on this, the strategy of the EU is not to depend more on gas, but to include different sources of energy in our mix. We aim for the diversification of suppliers and routes, but also of energy sources.