2023-09-24 03:49:40
The struggle over the Renewable Heat Act (EWG) continues. The law was passed in the Council of Ministers as early as November 2022, but failed to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament. Two weeks ago, ÖVP energy spokeswoman Tanja Graf made people sit up and take notice when she announced that the law was “structured incorrectly”. Both Graf and the Green Party’s energy spokesman, Lukas Hammer, recently confirmed to the APA: “Negotiations are ongoing.”
Graf got the media discussion rolling when she originally told the Kurier (online edition from September 11th) that “the law was structured incorrectly and not everything was taken into account.” They want to look at the law once more “with common sense”. The club bosses of the ÖVP, August Wöginger, and the Greens, Sigrid Maurer, immediately announced that the negotiations were “continuing quickly”.
Most recently, Graf also informed the APA that negotiations were ongoing. However, the ÖVP did not want to say anything more regarding it.
Hammer also referred to the APA to the ongoing negotiations. Since the EEC also interferes with the powers of the federal states, a two-thirds majority in the National Council is necessary. This might be achieved with either the FPÖ or the SPÖ, but an agreement with the FPÖ on the content is rather unlikely.
“We were almost there in March,” said the green energy spokesman to the APA. The agreement then failed because of the SPÖ. Although the government proposal exists, “at the end of the day we need a package that all three parties can agree on.” The government parties must therefore now consider among themselves in which areas they can accommodate the Social Democrats. The SPÖ is therefore not currently taking part in the negotiations, but there are ongoing discussions, said Hammer.
From the SPÖ’s perspective, the situation is different. The last negotiation on the EEC with the SPÖ took place on March 13th, and there have been no invitations since then. “As far as the EEC is concerned, there are no talks, no negotiations and no information,” said red energy spokesman Alois Schroll to the APA. “This hiccup between the ÖVP and the Greens is at the expense of the population and climate protection,” he criticized.
It is important for the Social Democrats that subsidies for heating replacements are granted beyond 2026. The SPÖ wanted to ensure payments until 2040, and in March an agreement was reached with the governing parties on 2030. Furthermore, the SPÖ wants “tenants not to be stuck with the costs of replacing the heating system”. On the one hand, this should be guaranteed by enshrining the “appropriateness” of the purchase in law – landlords should not, for example, buy a heating system that is significantly more expensive than necessary and then pass the costs on to their tenants.
The SPÖ also wants a parallel amendment to tenancy and housing law. “We said from the beginning that this should be negotiated in parallel,” explained Schroll. That’s difficult, “but that’s what legalists are for.” When asked whether the SPÖ made the amendment a condition for its approval of the EEC, Schroll remained ambiguous, saying it depends on the negotiations. “Our hand was and is extended for negotiations at all times,” the energy spokesman concluded.
When asked regarding a time frame for the law, Hammer said: “I can only give you the politician’s answer: as quickly as possible.” In the current legislative period, which still runs for regarding a year, it should at least work out. The Greens are used to resistance to climate laws. There was also resistance to the introduction of deposits on plastic bottles and cans, and “thick boards were drilled” there too.
The aim of the negotiations continues to be the phase-out of oil and gas in space heating. For Hammer, the EEC is not only important in terms of climate protection, but also in order to become more independent of Russian gas. The supply of gas is still not secured; prices have now just fallen significantly once more. “I strongly warn once morest lulling yourself into security and thinking that we don’t need to phase out gas,” said the Green politician.
The EEC is also necessary because decarbonization in space heating cannot be implemented on an individual level. A “public law obligation” is necessary because “without this law the conversion will not progress at all,” said Hammer. “It is clear that this transformation is gigantic. If the state makes such commitments, it must also follow suit with subsidies,” said the green energy spokesman, referring to the planned subsidy system.
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