Projet de loi portant modification de la loi du 13 juillet 1976 portant approbation de l'Accord relatif à un programme international de l'énergie, et de l'Annexe, faits à Paris le 18 novembre 1974.
General information ¶
- Submitted by
- PS | SP MR Open Vld Vooruit Purple Ⅰ
- Submission date
- April 4, 2006
- Official page
- Visit
- Status
- Adopted
- Requirement
- Simple
- Subjects
- petroleum energy policy energy crisis energy storage energy supply strategic reserves
Voting ¶
- Voted to adopt
- CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA MR FN VB
Contact form ¶
Do you have a question or request regarding this proposition? Select the most appropriate option for your request and I will get back to you shortly.
Discussion ¶
June 1, 2006 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)
Full source
Rapporteur Koen T'Sijen ⚙
Regarding the draft law amending the Act of 13 July 1976 approving the Agreement on an International Energy Program and the Annex drawn up in Paris on 18 November 1974, the Minister noted in the Committee that Belgium, as a Member State of the European Union and of the International Energy Atomic Energy Agency, is obliged to develop measures to cope with a crisis in the supply of petroleum.
During the previous oil crises of 1973-1974 and 1979-1980, respectively following the Yom Kippur War and the Iranian Revolution, measures such as the well-known auto-free Sundays were taken, based on the Price Act of 1945, which only allows the Minister, responsible for Economic Affairs and Energy, to take action at the time of the crisis itself. The Minister stressed that, however, it is desirable, in accordance with the practice in other countries of the International Energy Agency, that such decisions be made known broadly before the actual outbreak of an supply crisis. The Minister stated that the bill provides a response to this and supplements the law of 13 July 1976 approving the agreement on an international energy programme.
With the legislative amendment, the King may at any time, under normal market conditions, establish rules for the international and national distribution of petroleum products, as well as the mandatory stocks of petroleum and petroleum products. In other words, the Minister can already elaborate measures through the proposal and does not have to wait until a crisis breaks out.
The Emergency Sharing Programme of the International Energy Agency shall be launched as soon as a decrease in the supply of petroleum oil by seven per cent compared to the same period of the previous year of a particular country or group of countries is established. If that threshold is exceeded, it means the beginning of an oil crisis and the Solidarity Mechanism is launched, in which countries that are still able to obtain a lot of oil sell oil to countries with a deficit.
After the introduction of the Minister, the discussion was continued. Colleagues Lenssen and Tant asked for clarification of the concept of "priority users". The Minister replied that the list of users is prepared by an interdepartmental economic commission. The list will be established at KB. As regards the supply of petroleum and petroleum products, maritime ports, inland ports and refineries will be considered as priority users. In terms of heating, priority users include hospitals, kitchens, laundry, food industry, pharmaceutical industry and agriculture and horticulture. In the field of mineral oils, agriculture, horticulture and forestry can be considered as priority users, as well as the fishing and non-rolling equipment of firefighters and civil protection.
Collega Tant asked the Minister how the parliamentary control of compliance with the draft law will take place. The Minister proposed that, one year after the entry into force of the new law, Parliament should be informed of the progress in the preparation of the measures and subsequently regularly report in the middle. Mr Tant submitted an amendment aimed at obliging the Minister to inform the Parliament of the measures taken within three months of the outbreak of a oil supply crisis.
The amendment was accepted and so the entire draft law, as amended, was unanimously adopted by the committee.