La biomasse, activité alternative au développement des zones rurales

b) The safety of the energy provisioning

The security of supply can be defined like « the possibility of ensuring satisfaction continues requirements essential in energy with the means, on the one hand, interior resources sufficient and exploited under conditions economically acceptable and, on the other hand, accessible, diversified and stable external sources »^4(*). According to this definition, the security of supply of the Union is not yet satisfactory. In spite of considerable efforts carried out since 1973 to decrease the energy dependence and to improve the energy effectiveness, the EU is still dependant compared to oil and the petroleum products imported on surroundings 50% of her provisioning (Appendix 1). To improve her conditions of provisioning, the EU should reduce the share of imported energy, rationalize as much as possible the use of energy and turn more and more worms of the renewable sources of energy. Taking into account the external costs of traditional energy, related to the pollution of the environment, the changes climatic and the health risks human, these development would not increase only the energy security of supply but would also reduce the general cost of energy.

Renewable energies thus represent a considerable potential to reinforce the European security of supply. The development of their use depends on political and economic efforts extremely important. Medium-term, the renewable ones are the only source of energy on which the European Union has a certain room for maneuver to increase the offer in the current circumstances. « The Union cannot be allowed to neglect this form of energy »^5(*).

* ⁴ ibid p 351

* ⁵ Deliver green  for a Community strategy, «  Energy for the future: renewable sources of energy  », p 3