Earl Attleeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What role the United Kingdom is taking in establishing the European Task Force on Renewable Energy; and when the task force is expected to have its first meeting; and [HL87]
How many United Kingdom representatives will be appointed to the European Task Force on Renewable Energy; and how they will be selected. [HL88]
§ Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleAt the Energy Council on November 13, the UK stressed the importance of maintaining the momentum created by the Commission's 1997 White Paper(Energy for the Future: Renewable Sources of Energy) and the Council Resolution on renewables adopted under the UK Presidency in May. The Minister for Energy and Industry, Mr Battle, suggested to the Council that the establishment of a Commission-led "task force" of senior experts of renewables could contribute to this.
This suggestion builds on an idea in the White Paper that a working group involving Commission and member states be established to monitor measures undertaken and evaluate the impact of policy decisions with regard to the use of renewable energy sources. This group has met only once in 1998.
The Commission has not yet responded on the idea of a task force, but I understand that it plans to hold a further meeting of its working group early in 1999.
If the idea of a task force on renewables is taken forward, it will be for the Commission to decide how this is to be constituted. Most Commission chaired committees have two representatives per member state.