Peter Liese on the discussion on energy prices in the European Union: Relief inevitable in the short term, invest in renewable energies and energy efficiency in the medium and long term to be immune against high prices of fossil fuels

"The European Commission's proposals on the climate and energy package (Fit for 55) can be the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccination against high energy prices," said the spokesman on health and environment of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), Dr. med. Peter Liese, in view of the discussion on high energy prices at the European Council on Wednesday and Thursday. "We must take serious that many people are being hit hard by the rise in energy prices and short-term aid is unavoidable. But we should not shelve the medium and long-term climate change agenda.

The crisis is caused by high prices and our high dependence on fossil fuels. The cost of renewable energies has not increased. Energy efficiency and renewable energies can make us immune to such price shocks in the long-term. We all know that we had to invest a lot of money, public and private money, to get the vaccine. It was also scarce at the beginning, and it has side effects, but now it is leading us out of the corona crisis because it protects everyone and also allows us as a community to almost live a normal life again. It is the same with investments in energy efficiency and renewable energies. They cost money at the beginning, and they also have side effects, but they are nevertheless the only way out of the crisis and the positive effects far outweigh the side effects. Therefore, I am firmly convinced that we must support the core of the European Commission's climate protection package and not under any circumstances question the targets. If we weaken climate policy, we would confirm every prejudice against politicians, namely that we always only think about the next election and never about the next generation," explained Liese.