Energy Charter Treaty: a coordinated EU exit will enable us to meet our climate targets
Renew Europe remains steadfast and coherent regarding the EU’s objective to become climate neutral by 2050. Indeed, at today’s plenary session, the European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling on the Commission and the EU Member States to start preparing a coordinated exit from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).
This treaty allows investors to sue states in order to protect investments in energy sources, including fossil fuels. This obsolete treaty is therefore in total contradiction with the EU’s current environmental objectives and the Paris Agreement.
Renew Europe regrets that the modernised project continues to protect existing fossil fuels for the upcoming period and is concerned that the 20-year sunset clause is unchanged in the modernised text. On the other hand, Renew Europe welcomes the intention of several EU leaders from our political family, such as those of Luxembourg, Netherlands, France and Slovenia, to withdraw from the Energy Treaty Charter. We strongly believe that a coordinated exit within the EU is the solution. The Commission must work on this option and, finally listen to what the European Parliament have said repeatedly for months.
Marie-Pierre Vedrenne (L’Europe Ensemble, France), who has negotiated this resolution on the behalf of our group, declared: "This is a European victory today. A victory for the climate, a victory for our sovereignty, a victory in the battle we have been fighting for years. Our Parliament and Renew Europe have played a decisive role in sending a strong message: it is time to get out of the Energy Charter Treaty. The Commission and the Council can no longer look the other way. Now let's finally prepare this coordinated exit."
