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 KOKKALISGUE/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. Anthony Cellier, LREM, France 166. Malik BEN ACHOUR, PS, Belgium 167. Caroline JANVIER, LREM, France 168. Marion LENNE, LREM, France 169. Stéphane LESTE, LREM, France 170. Eric ALAUZET, LREM, France 171. Yves DANIEL, LREM, France 172. Fabienne COLBOC, LREM, France 173. Sylvain TEMPLIER, LREM, France 174. Marie SILIN, LREM, France 175 Stéphane TROMPILLE, LREM, France 176. Souad ZITOUNI, LREM, France 177. Sylvie CHARRIERE, LREM, France 178. Michel DELPON, LREM, France 179. Loic DOMBREVAL, LREM, France 180. Marc Delatte, LREM, France 181. Patricia MIRALLES, LREM, France 182. Jacqueline DUBOIS, LREM, France 183. Nicole LE PEIH, LREM, France