Statement on the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty

The EU aims to become the indisputable climate leader and the world’s first climate-neutral region. The European Green Deal and the proposed EU Climate Law are some of the most ambitious known policy instruments to combat climate change.

However, the little-known Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is threatening the climate ambition of the EU domestically and internationally. The EU and its Member States ratified the Treaty with the aim to strengthen the EU’s energy security by ensuring a continuous supply of fossil fuels from the East to the West.

Not only did the “raison d’être” of the ECT became obsolete since Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty in 2009.Today, the ECT is a serious threat to Europe’s climate neutrality target and more broadly to the implementation of the Paris Agreement. By protecting foreign investments in fossil fuels by means of the highly controversial Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement (ISDS) mechanism, the ECT protects foreign investments in greenhouse gas emissions and multiplies the cost of the ecological transition. EU citizens are democratically calling for ambitious climate action, but are unknowingly funding the life insurance that the ECT provides to fossil fuels investors.

By 2050, cumulative greenhouse gas emissions protected by the ECT, if fossil fuels are not phased-out, would be equivalent to one-third of the remaining global Carbon budget for the period 2018-2050.

Furthermore, the cost of the continuation of the ECT is higher than the historic EU recovery fund agreed in July. On one hand, stranded fossil fuels assets protected by the ECT would potentially reach at least €2.15 trillion by 2050 if fossil fuels are not phased-out from the ECT binding investment protection. On the other hand, the potential cost of ISDS claims could reach at least €1.3 trillion by 2050 out of which 42% will be paid by EU taxpayers.

The Energy Charter Treaty is neither consistent with the European Green Deal, nor with the proposed EU climate law and national carbon neutrality targets, nor with the EIB energy lending policy and the EU taxonomy for sustainable investment. Phasing-out fossil fuels from the ECT investment protection mechanism is for us a prerequisite for the negotiations on the modernisation of the ECT.

We, Members of the European and National Parliaments, require EU negotiators to ensure that the provisions in the ECT that protect foreign investment in fossil fuels are deleted and thus removed from the ECT. Similarly, ISDS provisions need to be scrapped or fundamentally reformed and limited. If this is not achieved at the end of the 3rd negotiation round planned for the autumn, we ask EU Member States to explore pathways to jointly withdraw from the ECT by the end of 2020.

Our priority is to ensure the EU and its Member States are fully aligned with the Paris Agreement and EU priorities. The ECT risks our climate future and every step must be taken to ensure the EU strengthens its climate action, not undermines it.

 

Signatories

European Parliament

1. Maria ARENA, S&D, Belgium

2. Manon AUBRY, GUE/NGL, France

3. Saskia BRICMONT, Greens/EFA, Belgium

4. Anna CAVAZZINI, Greens/EFA, Germany

5. Pascal DURAND, Renew Europe, France

6. Aurore LALUCQ, S&D, France

7. Helmut SCHOLZ, GUE/NGL, Germany

8. Alviina ALAMETSÄ, Greens/EFA, Finland

9. François ALFONSI Greens/EFA France

10. Rasmus ANDRESEN, Greens/EFA, Germany

11. Eric ANDRIEU, S&D, France

12. Marc ANGEL, S&D, Luxembourg

13. Margrete AUKEN, Greens/EFA, Denmark

14. Katarina BARLEY, S&D, Germany

15. Pernando BARRENA, GUE/NGL, Spain

16. Brando BENIFEI, S&D, Italy

17. Stéphane BIJOUX, Renew Europe, France

18. Benoît BITEAU, Greens/EFA, France

19. Malin BJÖRK, GUE/NGL, Sweden

20. Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, S&D, Lithuania

21. Michael BLOSS, Greens/EFA, Germany

22. Manuel BOMPARD, GUE/NGL,France

23. Marc BOTENGA, GUE/NGL, Belgium

24. Sylvie BRUNET, Renew Europe, France

23. Delara BURKHARDT, S&D, Germany

26. Reinhard BÜTIKOFER, Greens/EFA, Germany

27. Pascal CANFIN, Renew Europe, France

28. Damien CAREME, Greens/EFA, France

29. Fabio Massimo CASTALDO, NI Italy

30. Catherine CHABAUD, Renew Europe, France

31. Mohammed CHAHIM, S&D, Netherlands

32. Leila CHAIBI, GUE/NGL, France

33. Tudor CIUHODARU, S&D, Romania

34. Antoni COMÍN, NI, Spain

35. David CORMAND, Greens/EFA, France

36. Ignazio CORRAO, NI, Italy

37. Katalin CSEH, Renew Europe, Hungary

38. Ciarán CUFFE, Greens/EFA, Ireland

39. Jakop G. DALUNDE, Greens/EFA, Sweden

40. Gwendoline DELBOS-CORFIELD, Greens/EFA, France

41. Karima DELLI, Greens/EFA, France

42. Bas EICKHOUT, Greens/EFA, Netherlands

43. Cornelia ERNST, GUE/NGL, Germany

44. Eleonora EVI, NI, Italy

45. Giuseppe FERRANDINO, S&D, Italy

46. Daniel FREUND, Greens/EFA, Germany

47. Sven GIEGOLD, Greens/EFA, Germany

48. Raphaël GLUCKSMANN, S&D, France

49. Sandro GOZI, Renew Europe, France

50. Claude GRUFFAT, Greens/EFA, France

51. Francisco GUERREIRO, Greens/EFA, Portugal

52. José GUSMÃO, GUE/NGL, Portugal

53. Henrike HAHN, Greens/EFA, Germany

54. Martin HÄUSLING, Greens/EFA, Germany

55. Hannes HEIDE, S&D, Austria

56. Martin HOJSÍK, Renew Europe, Slovakia

57. Pär HOLMGREN, Greens/EFA, Sweden

58. Irena JOVEVA, Renew Europe, Slovenia

59. Yannick JADOT, Greens/EFA, France

60. Agnes JONGERIUS, S&D, Netherlands

61. Fabienne KELLER, Renew Europe, France

62. Petros KOKKALIS GUE/NGL, Greece

63. Dietmar KÖSTER S&D, Germany

64. Philippe LAMBERTS, Greens/EFA, Belgium

65. Pierre LARROUTUROU, S&D, France

66. Javi LOPEZ, S&D, Spain

67. Erik MARQUARDT, Greens/EFA Germany

68. Marisa MATIAS, GUE/NGL, Portugal

69. Emmanuel MAUREL, GUE/NGL, France

70. Nora MEBAREK, S&D, France

71. Tilly METZ, Greens/EFA, Luxembourg

72. Alessandra MORETTI, S&D, Italy

73. Hannah NEUMANN, Greens/EFA, Germany

74. Niklas NIENAß, Greens/EFA, Germany

75. Ville NIINISTÖ, Greens/EFA, Finland

76. Maria NOICHL, S&D, Germany

77. Younous OMARJEE, GUE/NGL, France

78. Grace O’SULLIVAN, Greens/EFA, Ireland

79. Jutta PAULUS, Greens/EFA, Germany

80. Piernicola PEDICINI, NI, Italy

81. Anne-Sophie PELLETIER, GUE/NGL, France

82. Kira Marie PETER-HANSEN, Greens/EFA, Denmark

83. Manu PINEDA, GUE/NGL, Spain

84. Clara PONSATÍ, NI, Spain

85. Carles PUIGDEMONT, NI, Spain

86. Evelyn REGNER, S&D, Austria

87. Sira REGO, GUE/NGL, Spain

88. Diana RIBA I GINER, Greens/EFA, Spain

89. Michèle RIVASI, Greens/EFA, France

90. María Eugenia RODRÍGUEZ PALOP, GUE/NGL, Spain

91. Inmaculada RODRÍGUEZ-PIÑERO, S&D, Spain

92. Sandor RONAI, S&D, Hungary

93. Caroline ROOSE, Greens/EFA, France

94. Mounir SATOURI, Greens/EFA, France

95. Andreas SCHIEDER, S&D, Austria

96. Joachim SCHUSTER, S&D, Germany

97. Michal ŠIMECKA, Renew Europe, Slovakia

98. Günther SIDL, S&D, Austria

99. Ivan Vilibor SINČIĆ, NI, Croatia

100. Jordi SOLÉ, Greens/EFA, Spain

101. Paul TANG, S&D, Netherlands

102. Marie TOUSSAINT, Greens/EFA, France

103. Miguel URBAN CRESPO, GUE/NGL, Spain

104. Ernest URTASUN, Greens/EFA, Spain

105. Marie Pierre VEDRENNE, Renew Europe, France

106. Kathleen VAN BREMPT, S&D, Belgium

107. Kim VAN SPARRENTAK, Greens/EFA, Netherlands

108. Monika VANA, Greens/EFA, Austria

109. Idoia VILLANUEVA RUIZ, GUE/NGL, Spain

110. Nikolaj VILLUMSEN, GUE/NGL, Denmark

111. Thomas WAITZ, Greens/EFA, Austria

112. Mick WALLACE, GUE/NGL, Ireland

113. Maria WALSH, EPP, Ireland

114. Sarah WIENER, Greens/EFA, Germany

115. Tiemo WÖLKEN, S&D, Germany

116. Salima YENBOU , Greens/EFA, France

117. Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOS, Renew Europe, France

 

 

National Parliaments

1. Doris ACHELWILM, Die Linke, Germany

2. Outi ALANKO-KAHILUOTO, Greens, Finland

3. Miquel José AUBA FLEIX, ERC, Spain

4. Clémentine AUTAIN, LFI, France

5. Lisa BADUM, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Germany

6. Delphine BAGARRY, EDS, France

7. Sara BAILAC ARDANUY, ERC, Spain

8. Erwan BALANANT, Modem, France

9. Simone BARRIENTOS, Die Linke, Germany

10. Dietmar BARTSCH, Die Linke, Germany

11. Montserrat BASSA COLL, ERC, Spain

12. Hugues BAYET, Parti socialiste, Belgium

13. Sandra BECKERMAN, Socialistische Partij, Netherlands

14. Olivier BIERIN, Ecolo, Belgium

15. Michel BRANDT, Die Linke, Germany

16. Jean-Louis BRICOUT, SOC, France

17. Christine BUCHHOLZ, Die Linke, Germany

18. Miquel CAMINAL CERDA, ERC, Spain

19. Joan CAPDEVILA I ESTEVE, ERC, Spain

20. Fabiola CARDOSO, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal

21. Jose Maria CARDOSO, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal

22. Maria CARVALHO DANTAS, ERC, Spain

23. Laura CASTEL FORT, ERC, Spain

24. Xavier CASTELLANA GAMISANS, ERC, Spain

25. Jörg CEZANNE, Die Linke, Germany

26. Annie CHAPELIER, EDS, France

27. Željko CIGLER, The Left Party, Slovenia

28. Samuel COGOLATI, Ecolo, Belgium

29. Jean Charles COLAS-ROY, LREM, France

30. Éric COQUEREL, LFI, France

31. Mirella CORTES DES, ERC, Spain

32. Yolaine DE COURSON, EDS, France

33. Sandra CUNHA, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal

34. Alain DAVID, SOC, France

35. Fabio DE MASI, Die Linke, Germany

36. Katharina DRÖGE, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Germany

37. Frédérique DUMAS, L&T, France

38. Pablo ECHENIQUE ROBBA, Unidas Podemos, Spain

39. Xavier Francesc ERITJIA CURIO , ERC, Spain

40. Klaus ERNST, Die Linke, Germany

41. Adelina ESCANDELL GRASES, ERC, Spain

42. Olivier FAURE, SOC, France

43. Susanne FERSCHL, Die Linke, Germany

44. Isabel FRANCO CARMONA, Unidas Podemos, Spain

45. Brigitte FREIHOLD, Die Linke, Germany

46. Jean Luc FUGIT, LREM, France

47. Sylvia GABELMANN, Die Linke, Germany

48. Guillaume GAROT, SOC, France

49. Nicole GOHLKE, Die Linke, Germany

50. Antonio GOMEZ-REINO VARELA, Unidas Podemos, Spain

51. Lorenz GÖSTA BEUTIN, Die Linke, Germany

52. Inés GRANOLLERS CUNILLERA, ERC, Spain

53. Txema GUIJARRO GARCIA, Unidas Podemos, Spain

54. Gregor GYSI, Die Linke, Germany

55. André HAHN, Die Linke, Germany

56. Lukas HAMMER, Die Grünen, Austria

57. Heike HÄNSEL, Die Linke, Germany

58. Atte HARJANNE, Greens, Finland

59. Satu HASSI, Greens, Finland

60. Yannick HAURY, LREM, France

61. Julia HERR, SPÖ, Austria

62. Anton HOFREITER, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Germany

63. Matthias HÖHN, Die Linke, Germany

64. Andrej HUNKO, Die Linke, Germany

65. Ulla JELPKE, Die Linke, Germany

66. Chantal JOURDAN, SOC, France

67. Kerstin KASSNER, Die Linke, Germany

68. Achim KESSLER, Die Linke, Germany

69. Anissa KHEDHER , LREM, France

70. Boštjan KORAZIJA, The Left Party, Slovenia

71. Miha KORDIS, The Left Party, Slovenia

72. Sylvia KOTTING-UHL, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Germany

73. Oliver KRISCHER, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Germany

74. Merja KYLLÖNEN, Left Alliance, Finland

75. François Michel LAMBERT, L&T, France

76. Célia DE LAVERGNE, LREM, France

77. Caren LAY, Die Linke, Germany

78. Sandrine LE FEUR, LREM, France

79. Marie LECOCQ, Ecolo, Belgium

80. Sabine LEIDIG, Die Linke , Germany

81. Ralph LENKERT, Die Linke, Germany

82. Gérard LESEUL, SOC, France

83. Pia LOHIKOSKI, Left Alliance, Finland

84. Juan Antonio LOPEZ DE URALDE, Unidas Podemos, Spain

85. Thomas LUTZE, Die Linke, Germany

86. Laurence MAILLART-MEHAIGNERIE, LREM, France

87. Joan MARGALL SASTRE, ERC, Spain

88. Jordi MARTI DEULOFEU, ERC, Spain

89. Robert MASIH NAHAR, ERC, Spain

90. Rosa María MEDEL PEREZ, Unidas Podemos, Spain

91. Pascal MEISER, Die Linke, Germany

92. Luka MESEC, The Left Party, Slovenia

93. Marjolaine MEYNIER-MILLEFERT, LREM, France

94. Matthias MIERSCH, SPD, Germany

95. Klaus MINDRUP, SPD, Germany

96. Amira MOHAMED ALI, Die Linke, Germany

97. Cornelia MÖHRING, Die Linke, Germany

98. Mariana MORTÁGUA, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal

99. Philippe NAILLET, SOC, France

100. Marie NOËLLE BATTISTEL, SOC, France

101. Thomas NORD, Die Linke, Germany

102. Joan Josep NUET PUJALS, EuiA, Spain

103. Matthieu ORPHELIN, EDS, France

104. Mathilde PANOT, LFI, France

105. Nelson PERALTA, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal

106. Elisenda PERES ESTEVE, ERC, Spain

107. Victor PERLI, Die Linke, Germany

108. Benedicte PETELLE, LREM, France

109. Valérie PETIT, Agir Ensemble, France

110. Damien PICHEREAU, LREM, France

111. Bernat PICORNELL GRENZNER, ERC,Spain

112. Christine PIRES BEAUNE, SOC, France

113. Gerardo PISARELLO PRADOS, En Comù Podem, Spain

114. Dominique POTIER, SOC, France

115. Norma PUJOL I FARRE, ERC, Spain

116. Pierre Alain RAPHAN, LREM, France

117. Michel REIMON, Greens, Austria

118. Ingrid REMMERS, Die Linke, Germany

119. Bernd RIEXINGER, Die Linke, Germany

120. Cécile RILHAC, LREM, France

121. Véronique RIOTTON, LREM, France

122. Marta ROCIQUE, ERC, Spain

123. Cristina RODRIGUES, Não Inscrito, Portugal

124. Alberto RODRIGUEZ RODRIGUEZ, Unidas Podemos, Spain

125. Maria Manuel ROLA, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal

126. Marta ROSIQUE I SALTOR, ERC, Spain

127. Claudia ROUAUX, SOC, France

128. Gabriel RUFIAN ROMERO, ERC, Spain

129. Josep RUFO GRACIA, ERC, Spain

130. Hélène RYCKMANS, Ecolo, Belgium

131. Enrique Fernando SANTIAGO ROMERO, Unidas Podemos, Spain

132. Jussi SARAMO, Left Alliance, Finland

133. Nina SCHEER, SPD, Germany

134. Eva-Maria SCHREIBER, Die Linke, Germany

135. Nelson SILVA, PAN, Portugal

136. Primož SITER, The Left Party, Slovenia

137. Petra SITTE, Die Linke, Germany

138. Friedrich STRAETMANNS, Die Linke, Germany

139. Nataša SUKIC, The Left Party, Slovenia

140. Ana Maria SURRA SPADEA, ERC, Spain

141. Kirsten TACKMANN, Die Linke, Germany

142. Matej TASNER VATOVEC, The Left Party, Slovenia

143. Jessica TATTI, Die Linke, Germany

144. Carolina TELECHEA I LOZANO, ERC, Spain

145. Jennifer DE TEMMERMAN, EDS, France

146. Huguette TIEGNA, LREM, France

147. Violeta TOMIC, The Left Party, Slovenia

148. Elisabeth TOUTUT-PICARD, LREM, France

149. Bernart TRESERRES, ERC, Spain

150. Frédérique TUFFNELL, EDS, France

151. Erkki TUOMIOJA, SDP, Finland

152. Alexander ULRICH, Die Linke, Germany

153. Pilar VALLUGERA BALANA, ERC, Spain

154. Laurence VANCEUNEBROCK, LREM, France

155. Michèle DE VAUCOULEURS, Modem, France

156. Michèle VICTORY, SOC, France

157. Aina VIDAL SAEZ, Unidas Podemos, Spain

158. Alexandra VIEIRA, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal

159. Cédric VILLANI, EDS, France

160. Kathrin VOGLER, Die Linke, Germany

161. Andreas WAGNER, Die Linke, Germany

162. Martine WONNER, EDS, France

163. Hubertus ZDEBEL, Die Linke, Germany

164. Jean Marc ZULESI, LREM, France

165. Malik Ben Achour, PS, Belgium