On the EU development cooperation in support of access to energy in developing countries
DEVE-PR-753463
Committee on Development · Rapporteur: Caroline Roose
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This is a draft report by Parliament's Committee on Development on EU development cooperation for energy access in developing countries. It calls for universal access to clean energy, a rights-based energy transition, safeguards on green hydrogen and land use, and more EU funding for a just energy transition.¶¶¶ It asks the EU to prioritise clean cooking, mainstream gender, ensure policy coherence, and support developing countries in phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. It urges EU institutions to direct investments into distribution and off-grid renewable energy, with human rights and environmental safeguards.¶¶¶
Committee position. The rapporteur proposes that the EU increase official development assistance for energy in Africa, prioritise grants over loans, reorient financing towards countries with lower electricity access, mainstream gender, make clean cooking a priority, ensure policy coherence, and apply rights-based safeguards including free, prior and informed consent.¶¶¶
Key points
- Recalls that access to energy is a basic human right and stresses that a net-zero carbon future and renewables must go hand in hand with poverty reduction and a human rights-based approach.¶
- Urges developing countries to commit to energy justice through regulatory frameworks ensuring local acceptance and community participation.¶
- Points out that energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls and calls for the EU to step up support in mainstreaming gender in the energy transition.¶
- Is worried about health and environmental consequences of household fuelwood emissions and urges the EU to make access to clean cooking a priority in its energy partnerships.¶¶
- Expresses concern over increasing energy needs among refugees and internally displaced persons living in camps.¶
- Urges the EU and its Member States to ensure policy coherence for sustainable development across the EU external energy agenda and to support rights-based renewable energy regimes.¶¶
- Highlights risks of land-use conflicts and forced resettlement from large-scale renewable energy installations and urges the EU to support mapping of traditional land use, free, prior and informed consent, and environmental and social criteria.¶¶¶
- Recommends that EU Member States that have not done so ratify International Labour Organization Convention 169 on indigenous and tribal peoples.¶
- Warns against a new 'green hydrogen curse' and calls for the EU to support a green hydrogen value chain only when it equally benefits exporting countries and their populations.¶
- Insists that green hydrogen strategies follow strong social and sustainability standards, with monitoring frameworks, mandatory environmental impact studies, and exclusion of biodiversity hotspots.¶
- Calls for the EU and its Member States to increase official development assistance for the energy sector, prioritising grants over loans and reorienting financing towards countries with lower rates of access to electricity.¶
- Calls for the EU and European development finance institutions to direct investments into distribution and decentralised renewable energy, ensure human rights impact assessments, and apply the rights-based approach with complaint and redress mechanisms.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Developing countries, especially in Africa, which would receive increased EU support for clean energy access and energy transition.¶
- Women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by energy poverty and would benefit from gender mainstreaming in energy policies.¶
- Local communities and indigenous peoples in developing countries, whose land rights and free, prior and informed consent would be protected in renewable energy projects.¶¶¶
- EU and European development finance institutions, which would need to reorient investments and apply safeguards.¶¶¶
- Refugees and internally displaced persons living in camps, whose energy needs are highlighted.¶
Figures and deadlines
- approximately 733 million people worldwide, 80 % of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, still do not have access to affordable, reliable, clean, high-quality energy as of mid-2023¶
- women and girls spend on average up to 18 hours a day collecting cooking fuels¶
- EU together with its Member States provided EUR 13.8 billion for SDG 7 projects in Africa between 2014 and 2020¶
- an estimated 53 % of the disbursements were in the form of loans
- SDG 7 aims to achieve sustainable access to affordable and clean energy by 2030¶
Legal basis: Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union¶