March 14, 2010

Global Dairy Workers Conference pledges support to Nestle workers, demands: Stop Nespressure!

Representatives of dairy workers' unions from 22 countries gathered for their second global conference on March 9-12, 2010 in Buenos Aires and Sunchales, Argentina. In sharing the information, delegates continually cited Nestle as a company where the abuse of trade union rights is common practice in various countries. In conclusion, the conference declared support to all Nestle workers currently facing pressure, and in particular to the union at Nestle Waters in Russia and its campaign for the reinstatement of fired union leader, Sergey Strykov.

Nestlé European Works Council Steering Committee denounces Nespressure….

Stop Nespressure! Leafleting and press conference in Moscow

20-03-2010 om 23:05 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Dutch prime minister Friday denounced as "irresponsible" a claim by a retired U.S. general that gay Dutch soldiers were partly to blame for allowing Europe's worst massacre since World War II.

Dutch officials, from the Cabinet to the military, were outraged by retired Gen. John Sheehan's remarks at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

Sheehan claimed that Dutch military leaders had called the presence of gay soldiers in the army "part of the problem" that allowed Serb forces to overrun the Srebrenica enclave in Bosnia in July 1995 and kill some 8,000 Muslim men.

Dutch troops were serving in the undermanned U.N. peacekeeping force in Srebrenica when they were overrun by heavily armed Serb forces, who went on to turn the surrounding countryside into killing fields littered with mass graves.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende called Sheehan's comments irresponsible and said at his weekly news conference that "these remarks should never have been made."

"Toward Dutch troops – homosexual or heterosexual – it is way off the mark to talk like that about people and the work they do under very difficult circumstances," he said.

Sheehan, a former NATO commander who retired from the military 1997, was speaking in opposition to a proposal to allow gays to serve openly in the U.S. military.

Balkenende said he would not take up the issue with President Barack Obama because Sheehan is already retired.

Defense Minister Eimert van Middelkoop called Sheehan's claim "damaging" and not worthy of a soldier. "I don't want to waste any more words on it," he said.

Story continues below

Gen. Henk van den Breemen, Dutch chief of staff at the time of the Srebrenica genocide, called Sheehan's comments "total nonsense" and denied ever having suggested gays in the army might have played a role in the Srebrenica massacre.

The Netherlands has a long history of accepting homosexuality, and gays have long been welcome in the country's armed forces – which also allow labor unions.

The leader of one such union, Jan Kleian, was incensed by Sheehan's comments.

"The man is crazy," he told Dutch radio. "It sounds hard, but I can't put it any other way."

19-03-2010 om 23:59 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

How Iran's Workers Fight Ahmadinejad's Neoliberal Cutbacks

The Iranian Tsunami

By CONN HALLINAN

Earthquakes, like the recent Haitian and Chilean monsters, are not subtle events: They flatten buildings, crush houses, and turn infrastructures into concrete and steel confetti. But earthquakes can also generate a power that remains largely unseen until a huge tsunami rises out of the sea and obliterates a coastline.

It is a metaphor that comes to mind when Amin is talking about the political earthquake in Iran. Amin can’t use his real name, nor can he afford to identify where he lives or works. Being an active trade unionist in Iran is a dangerous job description. “If three workers meet they get thrown into solitary confinement,” he says.

When most Americans think about the recent upheavals in Iran, it is about marches demanding democracy and challenging the June 12 presidential election. The face of those protests is the “Green Movement”—so called because its supporters wear green—that put millions of people into the streets of Teheran and other large cities throughout the country.

Largely unseen, and rarely reported on, however, are thousands of strikes, slow downs and sit-ins by workers challenging the erosion of trade union rights and the government’s drive to privatize the economy, plus instituting policies that will impoverish tens of millions of people.

According to Amin, over the next few months the government will begin dismantling $20 billion a year in subsidies for gasoline, water, electricity, rice, flour, bus fare, and university tuition. “The Iranian people made these things, fought for these things,” says Amin. “They are all that is left of the [1979] revolution.”

Along with the draconian cutbacks in subsidies, Amin says the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is rapidly privatizing the public sector and turning it over “to his buddies in the Revolutionary Guard.” According to official government statistics for 2008, a third of state assets have already been privatized, the vast bulk of it under Ahmadinejad. In many ways this dismantling of the public sector resembles the privatization plan Russia instituted in the 1990s that ended up turning over vast sections of the economy to oligarchs at bargain basement prices.

The resistance to the cutbacks and privatization comes mainly from the trade union movement—much of it underground— but that can be a very perilous undertaking in Iran.

Hundreds of unionists have been fired, threatened, or jailed under brutal conditions over the past few years. Mansour Osanioo, president of the Teheran bus drivers union, was recently released from solitary confinement, but only after an international campaign led by the International Transport Workers Federation and the Indonesian seafarers union, Kesatuan Pelaut Indonesia.

The International Trade Union Confederation, Iranian unions and human rights groups have called for the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate the persecution of trade unionists in Iran.

Men like Osanioo, bus driver union vice-president Ebrahim Madadi, and Reza Rakhshan, a leader of the sugar cane workers union, are either in prison or fighting to stay free. But in spite of the efforts by the government to stamp out unionism, strikes continue to roil Iran. According to Amin, “there are thousands of small and large labor actions.”

Some 600 workers at Bandar Abbas Refinery Development Company struck to recover five months of unpaid wages. Over 800 workers at the Dena Rah Sasan civil engineering company struck over the same issue, closing off the main gates with heavy trucks. Shiraz Iran Telecommunications Industries workers staged a sit-in at the provincial governor’s mansion over back wages, and a series of rolling strikes over wage and pension reductions paralyzed the Mobarakeh Steel Complex.

Amin says the government is trying to undermine labor laws that are enshrined in the constitution. “Workers are guaranteed collective bargaining rights and the right to organize. Iran’s labor law is one of the most progressive in the world. And they are trying to change this.”

One employer strategy is to increase the number of “temporary workers.” According to Amin, “temps” now represent upwards of 60 to 70 percent of the workforce. They have no benefits and are largely at the mercy of arbitrary firings and periodic layoffs. The trade union movement is trying to organize these “temps,” a risky undertaking in the current climate created by the government. “We have a police state and we can’t organize ourselves,” he says.

Which is why, he says, the unionists are “100 percent behind” the democratic reform movement.

For the moment, the reform movement appears to be on the ropes. The government has closed over 50 newspapers and magazines, and the brutality of the police and Basij militia largely prevented the Green Movement from filling the streets of the nation’s major cities on Feb. 11, the 31st anniversary of the revolution.

The authorities first silenced the Internet—one of the Green Movement’s key organizing tools—and then flooded the streets with the police and militia. Hundreds of people were beaten, tear-gassed and arrested, and many still remain in jail. The regime also executed two dissidents on the eve of the demonstrations, and sentenced nine other political prisoners to death.

While the Green Movement has support in many of the nation’s cities, it has not yet recruited the bulk of the Iranian people to its banner. According to a recent poll conducted by the Program for International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, a majority of the population believes that Ahmadinejad won the June 12 election, and shows no particular interest in regime change.

But the same polls also reflected increasing disillusionment with the general economic situation, and specifically with the Ministry of the Interior. Only a little over a third supports the Ministry’s policies, and that disillusionment will almost certainly sharpen when subsides disappear and rising prices and inflation cut yet more deeply into people’s incomes. Unemployment is around 12 per cent, and according to Reze Shahhabi of the Teheran Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate, many workers must hold multiple jobs to make ends meet.

On one level, the Green Movement and the trade union movement are very different creatures. The reform movement has a strong base in the middle class and its interests are focused on democratic rights. The trade union movement is mainly concerned with resisting privatization and the end to subsidies. But both movements also share a considerable patch of common ground.

“We are 100 percent behind the reform movement,” Amin says, “because without democracy it is extremely hard and dangerous to organize workers.” And many leading reformers are increasingly critical of the Ahmadinejad’s neo-liberal formulas. Former presidential candidate and leading reform leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has strongly criticized the cutbacks in subsidies.

The Green Movement draws the attention of the international press, but as a Feb. 15 statement by a coalition of trade unions, including bus drivers, electrical workers, sugar refinery workers, metal workers and the Free Assembly of Iranian Workers points out, “We millions are the producers of wealth, the wheels of production. Society moves only because we move it.” As Amin says, “We have the muscle.”

The stage is set for some sort of major upheaval—possibly around the Mar. 20 New Year’s celebrations—but a number of things could derail it, including new sanctions, or the bombing if Iranian nuclear sites.

Sanctions “might let the regime off the hook,” says Amin. “They could let the government claim that any subsidies cutbacks are the result of Iran’s enemies. ‘See, it is not us, it is our enemies.’”

A military attack by either the U.S. or Israel would be a disaster. “That would wreck everything,” says Amin. Behind the cover of nationalism the government could crush the opposition with impunity.

But silencing opposition never makes it disappear. It is useful to remember that the tipping point in the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah was a nationwide strike by workers against the National Oil Company. The walkout shut down the pipelines and refineries.

And the walls came tumbling down.

Union Leaders Under Attack

Reports from Tehran indicate that union leaders from the bus drivers union are currently being targeted. The group Human Rights and Democracy Activists has reported on the court sessions for two of the Syndicate unionists on charges related to last year’s Mayday gathering. In addition, the syndicate has issued a statement on threats on Osanloo’s life in Karaj prison.

On March 2, Homayoun Jaberi, a 33 years old member of the bus drivers labor syndicate, was called into the revolutionary court on charges stemming from his participation in the 2009 Mayday rally. He was charged with “plots against the security of the system” which he and his lawyer, Khorshidi, rejected. Judge Mohammadi, speaking with a threatening tone, expressed remorse for not having given Mansour Osanloo a heavier sentence.

Jaberi was arrested last year before Mayday even started. He was taken to jail and held there for three weeks. This move comes ten months after the event and appears to be related to government schemes against this year’s Mayday. Mr. Jaberi has been barred from his job at the Tehran Vahed Bus company where he has been denied wages and pension benefits. Following multiple petitions, he successfully won a legal battle that allowed him to return to work, however, the company security, which works in tandem with the Intelligence Ministry, continues to obstruct his return. Jaberi spent some time in ward 209 of the notorious Evin prison in 2003 during the bus drivers strikes. He also spent a month in jail in 2007 for attending an event in Osanloo’s house in his support.

Similarly, on February 26, another syndicate member, Gholam Reza Khani was called to the court on the charges related to the same May 1 event. His court date was postponed.

Following news of a string of assaults by guards in Karaj prison on Mansour Osanloo, the Bus Syndicate Union has issued this statement:

We condemn the perilous and difficult conditions Mansour Osaloo is held under!

According to the latest news reached to us from his family, Osaloo who has been transferred to Karaj Rejai-Shahr jail for unspecified reasons is incarcerated in appalling and degrading conditions.

This past week, one of the inmates has made an attempt on his life which has luckily been averted by the vigilance of his fellow-inmates. This, however, was not the only instance where the same individual engaged in threats and taunts. This has caused worries for the family, Vahed Syndicate members, and the Iranian workers community in general.

Tehran and Municipality Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate while condemning these acts against those imprisoned, calls for legal protections and the prosecution of the culprits.

Mansour Osaloo has been sentenced to five years in prison and he is now serving his sentence in full at Karaj Rejai Shahr; a fact that has no precedent for most prisoners of conscience in Iran.

Tehran and Municipality Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate
March 2010

Mansour Osanloo update

International Transportation Workers Federation

DW: Yesterday, the new Minimum Wage rate was announced. What is your assessment of the rate which is $303 (per month) for the next Iranian year?

Azim Zadeh: The $303 rate, which is an increase of 15 percent compared to the last year, not only will not solve any of the Iranian workers’ problems, but compared to the current year rate of $260 will bring greater hunger and destitution for the Iranian working people.

Today in Tehran, $303 does not even pay for the rent of accommdation for a 4-person family. With $303, it may be possible only to pay rent for some periphery locations in Tehran. With food, clothing, health, education, and other expenses, I think the workers will face unprecedented poverty and hunger in the coming year.

DW: Considering that even the $260 was not paid for several months and the owed wages were postponed for the next year, how will the new year look for workers? What effect will this have on their lives?

Azim Zadeh: As I mentioned, setting $303 as the minimum wage will bring unprecedented poverty for workers. Indeed, the poverty and hunger in the coming year can not be compared with even the last couple of years.

Considering the expected high inflation and the ending subsidies, even if the minimum wages are paid on time, this will not take any burdens off the workers, let alone if they are postponed for six months or one year.

As you mentioned, we saw during this year the same low $260 monthly rate, which have been delayed for six months or for even a year. I dare say, the wages for three or four million workers across Iran (especially for those in one- or two-year projects, such as Asalouyeh, Mahshahrpor, and others, who have had their wages delayed) ensure they face very hard times.

Considering the current economic situation, it is expected that not only delays in wage payments will not be curtailed, but in the coming year it will actually increase. In such a situation, it is natural that absolute and unprecedented hunger will be forced on the working class in Iran.

DW: Considering that we are in the final days of the year and workers protests are continuing, what course will these protests take? And if there are to be any compromises between the state and the workers, how will that compromise be brokered?

Azim Zadeh: I think workers’ protests will sharply increase in the coming year and spread across the country. As you know, the subsidies are expected to be cut by $20 billion. According to a report by the Parliament Research Office, the inflation rate caused by this cut will be 37 percent. (This is based on the inflation rate announced by the central bank which is 11 percent in the past three months.) All the while the government talks about a “gift” by raising the minimum wages by 15 percent.

It should also be noted that the psychological effect of cutting the subsidies will also increase the rate announced by the Parliament Research Office. Meanwhile, based on our experience of the Iranian economy, in the last 30 years, we have had a nominal increase of 30 percent in the inflation rate.

With the yearly inflation and the 37 percent cuts in subsidies recently announced, and the addition of the psychological effects, the $303 may not even have the buying power of today’s $100.

It is natural for workers to react to such a situation, especially with the chronic economic crisis always at hand and constant wage arrears. The Iranian working class shall not remain silent. Workers’ unrest will increase.

On the understanding between the state and the workers, the rate announced today shows that the state and the employers are not at all willing to reach an understanding with the workers. They want to force hunger and poverty on the workers while continuing to enrich themselves. It is natural that the conclusion of such a scenario is the widespread workers protests.

DW: It is reported today that the government was not even able to agree to this 15 percent increase.

Azim Zadeh: Yes, that is true. The Labor Minister in last night’s televised interview discussed the 15 percent increase and the 11 percent inflation rate. But the minister did not properly address its own labor law, which states that workers’ wages are not to be based on inflation alone but also on the expenses of a family of four.

How is it possible to base the workers wages on this year’s inflation rate when the next year’s inflation will be overwhelming for the workers? They are using the inflation rate from March while next year inflation will increase by 20 to 30 percent. Meanwhile, they have completely forgotten their own bases in the law, which is the expenses for a workers family of four.

Workers' Minimal Demands on the Occasion of the Thirty-first Anniversary of the February 1979 Revolution

Four independent workers' organizations have issued a communique honoring the thirty-first anniversary of the 1979 revolution in Iran. A translation is provided below:

Thirty-one years have passed since the February 1979 revolution. At that time millions of Iranian people, full of hope for a better life, took to the streets in order to break the yoke of despotism and repression. A nationwide strike lead by workers at the National Oil Company, the vanguard of the Iranian working class, shut down oil pipelines, ultimately tearing the despotic regime asunder. Masses of people chanted, "Our oil workers! Our resolute leader!" Power fell to the people.

February 11, 1979, a day that marks an end to despotism, is a day that calls forth unforgettable memories of men and women, young and old, who had grown tired of repression and injustice; people embraced one another in the streets, cried out with joy, and, with tears in their eyes, looked forward to a liberated future.

Now, thirty-one years have passed since those glorious days full of enchantment and rebirth. Yet today the feelings of hope, enchantment, and glory have been transformed into nothing but misery, destitution, unemployment, sub-poverty wages, and subsidy cuts--unbearable agony for millions of workers and wage earners.

Life continues. The Iranian people still have a burning desire for change. They have not lost their hope for life, their yearning for happiness, freedom, dignity.

Born of democratic struggle, strikes, protests, and the campaign to establish independent organizations on its behalf, the working class has fought for its right to survive. Many of us now sit in jail for attempting to organize the working class and build a better life.

But these jail cells do not mark the end of the road. We millions are the producers of wealth, the wheels of production. Society moves only because we move it. We have at our back the historical experience of the united and grand strike of the oil workers during the February revolution. Relying on this experience and the power of our millions we inspire the best and most humanistic aspirations of the 1979 revolution. Today, after thirty-one years, we present our minimal demands and call for immediate and unconditional realization of all of them:

1. Unconditional recognition of independent workers organizations, the right to strikes, to organize protests, the freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and freedom to associate with any political party.
2. An immediate stop to all executions, and the immediate and unconditional release of labor and other political activists from jail.
3. Immediate increase of the minimum wage based on workers' input through their representatives in general workers assemblies.
4. End to Subsidies Rationalization Plan; delayed wages of workers should be immediately paid without any excuses.
5. Job security for workers and all wage earners, the end to all temporary contracts and blank signatures, removal of all government-run organizations in the work place, institution of new labor laws through direct participation of the workers in their general worker assemblies.
6. Halt to all firings under any circumstances. Anyone expelled, or at employment age, must benefit from social security in line with human dignity.
7. End of all discriminatory laws against women and insuring full and unconditional equality of women and men in all aspects of social, economic, political, cultural, and family affairs.
8. Insuring all the retired with a life of welfare, devoid of economic anxieties, putting an end to all discriminatory payment practices, and allowing everyone to benefit from social and medical services.
9. All children, irrespective of their parents' economic and social status, gender, nationality, race, and religion must be granted free and equal educational, welfare, and health care benefits.
10. May 1st must be declared a national holiday and included in the official calendar; all legal restrictions on its celebration must be removed.

Tehran and Municipality Bus Workers Syndicate
Haft Tapeh Sugar Refinery Workers Syndicate
Free Assembly of Iranian Workers
Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers Guild

19-03-2010 om 21:57 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Legion of Christ Responds To Founder's Alleged Children

Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 4, 2010 (CNA/EWTNews).- The Legionaries of Christ released two statements today responding to the dramatic revelations by a woman and her three sons who claim to be the wife and children of Fr. Marcial Maciel. During an interview in front of a large television audience in Mexico, Blanca Estela Lara Gutiérrez and her sons charged that Fr. Maciel, the founder of the Legion of Christ, led a parallel life.

The interview coincided with a visit to Mexico made by Father Álvaro Corcuera L.C., currently the director of the Legion of Christ.

During the interview, Lara Gutiérrez said that she met Fr. Maciel in 1970, when she was 19 years old. Maciel was 56 at the time. He told her that his name was “Raúl Rivas” and that he was a widower.

Though they never officially married, Lara Gutiérrez said that Fr. Maciel had two children her and adopted a third whom she had from a previous relationship. The children were registered as Omar, José Raúl, y Cristian González Lara.

During the long interview, which was rebroadcast in Spanish on Thursday by CNN for viewers in Latin America, the three children gave intensely dramatic details about how they were sexually abused as children by “Raúl Rivas.” They also spoke of how they came to know their father’s real identity and how they reacted to the accusations presented to the Holy See against Fr. Maciel.

At the end of the program, the González Lara family demanded the attention both of the Legionaries and of the Vatican.

In reaction to the interview, Jim Fair, spokesman for the Legion in the United States told CNA that he was “shocked and disappointed. But the Legion wants to act responsibly, get to the bottom of things and correct what needs to be corrected.”

On Thursday, the Legion of Christ in Mexico released two simultaneous statements through which they expressed their pain and solidarity with Fr. Maciel’s alleged family, though they neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. The statements also revealed that Raúl González, who has been acting as the spokesperson for the family, has previously requested $26 million from the Legion in exchange for not breaking the story.

The first statement said that the Legionaries “share the suffering and pain of the members of the González Lara family, understanding the difficult circumstances they have lived and are living.”

“In recent years, the Legionaries of Christ have gradually come to know, with surprise and great sorrow, hidden aspects of the life of Fr. Maciel. We confirm our commitment to act in truth and charity. We renew our request for forgiveness from the affected people for all of the suffering this has caused and for the ensuing scandal,” added the statement.

The same statement made public a letter that Fr. Carlos Skertchly, L.C. wrote to Raúl González Lara on January 12, 2010.

“At this time, it is impossible for Fr. Álvaro Corcuera to come to Mexico to meet with you as you requested, so he asked me as his representative to be available to meet with you and listen to you,” Fr. Skertchly informed him in the letter.

“Our intention as members of the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ is to do whatever is possible to uncover the truth about our founder’s life, to look for the best solutions—in a spirit of gospel charity—to the complex situations that are presenting themselves, and to reach out pastorally to all of the people who have suffered or who may be affected by it.”

Fr. Skertchly also recounted his interaction with Raúl González Lara, writing, “On January 8 in the afternoon, I received your phone call, in which you confirmed your request, affirming that ‘if you give me the money ($26 million), I will keep quiet about the truth,’ and you asked for a response by January 13 at the latest,” the letter continues.

“In no way can we accede to your request for money in exchange for silence. While we value all of the pain and suffering that you have shared with us, and we deplore the evil of scandal that may follow, we will never accept petitions of this sort, which are also illicit. We prefer to seek and face the truth, no matter how painful it may be,” affirmed Fr. Skertchly.

In the second statement, Fr. Jesús Quirce Andrés, L.C., rector of Anáhuac University, who was mentioned by the González Lara family in the interview, stated that he been involved in conversations with Raúl González at Gonzalez’s request beginning on April 18, 2008. Raúl had presented himself to the university, requesting to speak “with someone in authority.”

“At the beginning of October of 2008, he told me that his father had mentioned that his will was to leave a legacy of $6 million for Raúl, his younger brother, and his mother,” said Fr. Andrés.

“He never told me that he had been abused by his father,” says Fr. Andrés’ statement, in which he indicated that he “had never made these facts public out of respect for the privacy that Raúl himself requested of me on various occasions.”

“I was ignorant of the fact that our conversations had been recorded by Raúl. It surprises and offends me, especially since Raúl himself had asked for complete reserve and discretion regarding the topic,” wrote Fr. Andrés.

18-03-2010 om 23:25 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Legion of Christ

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Legion of Christ is a Roman Catholic congregation established in 1941 in Mexico by Fr. Marcial Maciel. It enjoyed the favor of Pope John Paul II. It has priests working in 22 countries^[1], and had 763 priests and over 1,300 seminarians as members by 2008.^[2] Its lay movement Regnum Christi has approximately 70,000 members.^[3] It operates centers of education (minor seminaries, seminaries, schools and/or universities) in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Ireland, France, Germany, Canada, the United States, and the Philippines.

On March 31, 2009 the Legionaries of Christ and the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI has ordered a Vatican investigation of the Legion of Christ. The Legion of Christ has acknowledged that its founder fathered a child and is also responding to claims that the founder molested seminarians. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, said church leaders will visit and evaluate all seminaries, schools and other institutions run by the Legion worldwide.^[4]

The founder

Marcial Maciel was born on March 10, 1920 into a devout Catholic family during a time in which the Mexican government was fiercely anticlerical. On June 19, 1936, Maciel—a young seminarian at the time—felt called to establish a new religious order, and in 1941, with the support of the bishop of Cuernavaca, Bishop Francisco González Arias, he founded the Legion of Christ, which was originally known as the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Sorrows. The name was changed because Maciel saw a likeness of his missionaries in the legions of Rome. Coupled to this was also the militancy of the Christian life found in St. Paul's letters. He received his final inspiration concerning the name through Pope Pius XII when the Pope quoted the Psalms when addressing a group of Legionaries: "Sicut acies castrorum ordinata" (Like an army in battle array). Maciel was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop González Arias in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on November 26, 1944, after which he continued to build up the Legion and its lay companion, Regnum Christi.

Maciel was asked by Pope John Paul II to accompany him on his visits to Mexico in 1979, 1990, and 1993, and was appointed, also by Pope John Paul II, to the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the formation of Candidates for the Priesthood in Actual Circumstances (1991). He has been a member of the Interdicasterial Commission for a Just Distribution of Clergy (1991), the IV General Conference of Latin American Bishops (CELAM) (1992), the Synod of Bishops on Consecrated Life and Their Mission in the Church and the World (1993), the Synod of Bishops´ Special Assembly for America (1997) and, since 1994, a permanent consultant to the Congregation for the Clergy. The golden anniversary of his priestly ordination was celebrated on 26 November 1994, with 57 Legionary priests ordained on the anniversary's eve. Fr. Marcial Maciel also served as Chancellor of the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, which is based in Rome.

In January 2005 Maciel, at age 84, was succeeded by Álvaro Corcuera, LC, as General Director of the Legion shortly after the reopening of a sex abuse allegation by the Vatican. Maciel died on 30 January 2008.

In July of 2009, media in Spain published an interview with a woman who had a child with Maciel over 20 years ago and now lives in a luxury apartment in Madrid which Maciel purchased for her. The woman, Norma Hilda Baños, insinuates that she was abused by Maciel as a minor and later was impregnated by him and she bore him a daughter, Norma Hilda Rivas.^[5] At least one source claims that Rivas is an alias that Maciel used during his life.^[6]

A day later, Mexican media reported that an attorney, José Bonilla, will represent three of a possible total of six of Maciel's children in a civil suit to recover Maciel's estate. The lawyer claims that there are several properties in Mexico and around the world which Maciel owned in his own name.^[7][8] In March 2010, Bonilla announced that he would no longer represent the three reputed children of Maciel, since one of them admitted to asking the Legion of Christ for $26 million USD in exchange for silence. ^[9]

Ethos

Members of the Legion take vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty. They originally took a private vow of charity, which was approved by Pope John Paul II in 1983 and repealed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 ^[10]. Their private vow of humility remains intact. The Legion's spirituality can be described as three loves: love for Christ, love for Mary, and love for the Church and Pope.

Love for Christ is, for Legionaries, a personal experience. Through the Gospel, the Cross, and the Eucharist, Legionaries come to know Christ intimately, and love him in a passionate way by embracing him as their model of holiness.^{[citation needed]}

Love for Mary flows from imitating Christ; the Blessed Virgin is loved as both Mother of the Church and of the individual Legionary's vocation. Legionaries consecrate their spiritual and apostolic lives to her care, and seek to take on her virtues of faith, hope, charity, obedience, humility, and cooperation with Christ's plan of redemption.^{[citation needed]}

Finally, there is Legionaries' love for Church and Pope. The Church is loved because it is the Body of Christ, and the beginning of his Kingdom on earth. Legionaries see the Church both as she currently stands and as Christ wants her to be. Thus Legionaries honor her by faith, submit to her in obedience, win souls for her through evangelization, and put her above all other earthly things in their lives. This love of the Church leads many in the Legion to speak of being "always in step with the Church, neither ahead nor behind." It also explains the Legionaries' special affection for the Pope, who is supported in his charism of primacy and magisterium. All bishops in communion with the Roman Pontiff, as the Apostles' successors and teachers of the Catholic Faith, are likewise honored.^{[citation needed]}

The very definition of the Legion of Christ's charism and ethos and how much of it is related to their disgraced founder's life of deception and moral turpitude is in question pending the results of the Apostolic Visitation due in the fall of 2009.^[11]

Formation

As a whole, the Legion is dedicated to advancing the Church's mission in the world, and to this end submits candidates to a rigorous formation of four dimensions: human, spiritual, intellectual and apostolic. This formation has caused critics to accuse the Legion of producing priests and religious who all speak and behave in the same way. But as members of a family receive similar upbringing, so the members of the Legion are formed in like ways, but still respecting the freedom of the individual.

In letters from Marcial Maciel to the seminarians, he describes the loyalties a Legionary should have:^[12]

177. The first duty of a legionary is to love and esteem the Legion. As Nuestro Padre says, it is not a sin to love our Mother who is with all her being dedicated to the expansion of the Kingdom of Christ. On the other hand, when we do this, we are not laboring blindly for we have before our eyes the splendid fruits that the Legion has produced for forty years, the formation of its men and the radiance of its apostolates which confirm that it is work of God and of the Church.
178. To love the Legion is to believe in it and in all that which makes up its specific charism - spirituality, discipline, apostolic methodology. To love the Legion is to intimately know it, accept it in all its fullness, without reticence or diminution. To love the Legion is to actively pledge oneself to it, living its spirit and enriching it with the contribution of all of one’s personality. To love the Legion is to feel oneself fully realized within it and to make it an essential part of one’s own happiness.

Contact with the family is moderated, so as to not restrict their mission, although they are allowed a considerably more contact with their families than religious in past centuries. If they live in the same country as their parents, the religious and priests are permitted to visit their families usually once a year provided it does not inhibit their individual assignments. In addition, they are permitted to visit for landmark anniversaries of parents and grandparents and, their families are encouraged to visit them normally two or three times a year. However, the novices do not go home during their two-year novitiate, but their families may visit. The high school seminarians are permitted to go home in the following cases:

276. During periods of summer vacation for fifteen days. During this period the Rector and, if the number requires it, the Vice-Rector - each accompanied by another religious - should visit apostolics in their homes to attend to them spiritually and to attend to the family.
277. During the Christmas holidays for three days. However, all apostolics should celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the vocational center and should do the same during the last day of the year.
278. For the name day or corresponding birthday of their parents for one day. This visit will, however, be subject to the approval of the Rector based on the individual environment of each family.
279. For their parents anniversary for one day.
280. For the wedding, religious profession or priestly ordination of one of their siblings for one day.
281. On the occasion of the death or serious illness of a parent, sibling or grandparent for three days.

All members of the congregation are required to write their families every two weeks, for the high school seminarians, every week. Periodic phone calls are also permitted: once a week for the high school seminarians, three times a year for novices, and roughly once a month for religious and priests. The above are the usual, but each individual case is seen with the superior.

Papal support

Since its founding, successive popes have expressed support for the Legion. When Maciel visited Rome in 1946, Pope Pius XII expressed a keen interest in the undertaking and gave it his personal blessing. In light of the order's achievements, particularly in education, Pope Paul VI was pleased to award it the "Decree of Praise" in 1965. The most enthusiastic support has, however, been that of Pope John Paul II, who in an address, picked out the qualities which have made the Legion so successful:^[13]

The close relationship between Maciel and Pope John Paul may have been one of the reasons that Vatican investigation regarding sex abuse allegations made against Fr. Maciel proceeded slowly although the first allegations were provided to the Pope in the late 1970s.

Apostolates

The primary apostolate of Legionary priests and brothers is to attend to the spiritual needs of the members of their lay branch, Regnum Christi. Since Legionary priests and brothers are themselves members of Regnum Christi, often they are put in charge of directing the apostolic projects.^{[citation needed]}

Regnum Christi has many Apostolates for charitable and spiritual welfare. It essentially does not limit itself to any one apostolate, but each member is encouraged to work on his/her area of interest/expertise.^{[citation needed]}

As a spirituality, it encourages its members to work innovatively and systematically. Members are given the option to work on an apostolate not associated with the Legion, a Legion-endorsed apostolate, or to create their own apostolate which may eventually reach Legion endorsement.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006, The Legion launched a test phase of Mission Network, in the United States. Catholic Mission Network, Inc., is the umbrella organization which oversees and approves all Legionary-endorsed apostolates in the US, soon to be internationally. Its purpose is to provide both 1) structure/supervision of the apostolates, and 2) An overview as to what the Legion/Regnum Christi does as a whole, with brand-name-type recognition.^{[citation needed]}

Controversies

In the United States, bishops have barred or severely restricted the Legion and Regnum Christi in six dioceses possibly because of its recruiting practices, but this is unclear.

Since the 1970s, Marcial Maciel has been accused twice of having repeatedly sexually abused other congregation members, including young children. (see Sexual abuse scandal in the Legion of Christ)

[edit] Apostolic visitation

The Vatican has ordered an apostolic visitation of the institutions of the Legionaries of Christ following disclosures of sexual impropriety by the order's late founder. Marcial Maciel Degollado. The announcement of the unusual investigation was posted on the Web site of the Legionaries of Christ March 31, 2009 along with the text of a letter informing the Legionaries of the pope's decision. ^[14]

On June 27, 2009, according to Vatican commentator, Sandro Magister, Vatican authorities have named five bishops from five different countries, each one in charge of investigating the Legionaries in a particular part of the world. Their first report is due to the Holy Father in March 2010:

Mexican Woman: 2 Kids With Scandal-Tainted Priest

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: March 3, 2010

Filed at 8:45 p.m. ET

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- A Mexican woman charged Wednesday that the deceased, scandal-tainted founder of a conservative Roman Catholic religious order led a double life and fathered two children with her.

Blanca Lara Gutierrez said she met the Rev. Marcial Maciel in the border city of Tijuana in the 1970s, but didn't know he was a priest. She said he passed himself off as an employee of an international oil company, a private investigator and a CIA agent.

The Legionaries of Christ, the order founded by Maciel, acknowledged in February 2009 in connection with other cases that he had fathered a daughter and molested seminarians.

During a radio interview Wednesday, Lara Gutierrez charged that Maciel, who died in 2008 at age 87, sexually abused one of his two sons with her as well as a son she had from a previous relationship. The sons, now adults named Jose Raul and Omar, said the abuse went on for years.

The Vatican, which has been investigating the order over the earlier allegations against Maciel, did not have any immediate comment on what Lara Gutierrez and her sons told MVS radio Wednesday.

The order's Mexican headquarters did not answer its phone. Jim Fair, a U.S.-based spokesman for the Legionaries, said he didn't know anything more than what was broadcast in Mexico about the woman, her children and Maciel.

''I'm shocked and disappointed at what I've heard,'' Fair said in a telephone interview. ''We want to act responsibly and get to the bottom of things and correct what needs to be corrected. We're going to be in the process of doing that.''

The accusations could not be independently verified. A short official biography posted on the Legionaries' Mexico Web site did not say where Maciel might have been posted in the 1970s, but he apparently did move around a lot.

Jason Berry, author of the book ''Vows of Silence,'' an investigation of the claims against Maciel, said that by 1976 Maciel traveled so much that he wasn't really based anywhere.

''He was building an international religious order and he flew often and spent periods of time in different countries. He moved most frequently between Mexico City, Madrid and Rome,'' Berry said. ''He was always in Mexico for periods of time. He would come back for events. Mexico was his financial base.''

The accusations that Maciel lived a hitherto unknown double life, in which the priest passed himself off as ''Jose Rivas,'' a widower, follow a long series of allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct in several cities.

Lara Gutierrez said she met Maciel when she was 19 and he was 56. She said she didn't find out his real identity until 1997, when she saw a magazine article about previous allegations made against him.

Asked how she was able to sustain a relationship with a man for around two decades without realizing who he really was, Lara Gutierrez suggested she was blinded by love.

''I never knew who I was living with, I never suspected.'' she said. ''I loved him very much.''

Pope Benedict XVI took the extraordinary step last March of ordering a Vatican investigation of the Legionaries of Christ. Church leaders are visiting and evaluating all seminaries, schools and other institutions run by the order around the world.

After its founding by Maciel in 1941, the Legionaries of Christ became one of the most influential and fastest-growing orders in the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope John Paul II championed the group, which became known for its orthodox theology, military-style discipline, fundraising prowess and success recruiting priests at a time when seminary enrollment was generally dismal.

The order says it has more than 800 priests and 2,500 seminarians worldwide, along with 50,000 members of the associated lay group Regnum Christi.

------

Associated Press Religion Writer Rachel Zoll in New York contributed to this report.

ROME, (Chiesa) – In the thick of the storm rocking the Catholic Church on account of the sexual abuse committed against minors by priests, an end has come to the apostolic visit ordered by the Holy See among the Legionaries of Christ, the congregation founded by Marcial Maciel.

The Maciel case is extreme in every way. It pushes the contrast between image and reality to exaggerated limits. Between the beatified image of the priest founder of an ultra-orthodox, ascetical, devout religious congregation, flourishing with vocations, some of them exemplary, and the reality of a dissolute second life, made up of incessant violations not only of the vows but of the commandments, of continual sinful affairs with women, men, and minors of every age and condition, with children and lovers all over the world, their number still unknown.

A second life, that even at the moment of death appeared to sink deeper into the sulfurous fumes. Morbid stories have leaked out about Maciel's last days in Houston, at the end of January 2008, before his burial in Cotija, his birthplace, in Mexico.

The apostolic visit began on July 15, 2009. And the five bishop visitors fulfilled their mandate halfway through this month of March, with the delivery of their report to the Vatican authorities. They were Ricardo Watti Urquidi, bishop of Tepic in Mexico; Charles J. Chaput, archbishop of Denver; Giuseppe Versaldi, bishop of Alessandria; Ricardo Ezzato Andrello, archbishop of Concepción in Chile; and Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, archbishop of Valladolid.

It will be the Vatican authorities who decide what to do. The three cardinals charged with the case are Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of state, William J. Levada, prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, and Franc Rodé, prefect of the congregation for institutes of consecrated life.

But the last word will belong to Benedict XVI, the most prescient of all. Even before he was elected pope and when Maciel still had very powerful protectors in the Vatican, Joseph Ratzinger ordered an extensive investigation of the accusations against the founder of the Legionaries. And as pope, on May 19, 2006, he sentenced him to "a retired life of prayer and penance."

After this sentence, the congregation of the Legionaries bowed to the papal command. But it continued to show veneration to its founding "father," as an "innocent victim" of false accusations.

It was only after his death and the revelation of other scandals that the directors of the congregation acknowledged some of their founder's sins, but without denying the goodness of his work.

Still today, after the eight-month apostolic visit, Maciel's successor as director general of the congregation, Fr. Álvaro Corcuera, and vicar general Luis Garza Medina – who were also for decades, especially the latter of them, very close collaborators of the founder – show no intention of leaving their command. And neither do any of the other high and mid-level directors, central or peripheral.

Their defense is that they were always unaware of Maciel's second life, and that their fidelity to the Church and to the pope, in addition to their leadership experience, are the best guarantees for the congregation's continuity.

Last February 5, in "L'Osservatore Romano," Fr. Luis Garza Medina, unruffled, published an article describing the "virtuous life" of the ideal priest. He who more than anyone else lived side by side with Maciel, knowing all his secrets and managing his money, and who always held him up as a model.

But that the current leaders of the Legionaries should be left at the head of the congregation is entirely unlikely. The more probable decision is that the Holy See will appoint a fully empowered commissioner of its own, and will set the guidelines for a thorough reform, including the replacement of the current leaders.

But rebuilding from the ground up a congregation still deeply influenced by its disgraced founder will be an arduous enterprise.

Priests and seminarians who until very recently were steeped in the writings attributed to Maciel will have difficulty finding new sources of inspiration, not generic but specific to their order. The current leaders of the congregation aren't helping, either. On the contrary. One of Maciel's former personal secretaries, Fr. Felipe Castro, together with other priests of the Legion, has worked in recent months to select from among the founder's many letters a group of letters to be "saved" for the future, to keep a positive image of Maciel alive.

But this was nothing compared to the control exercised over consciences. The handbook for the examination of conscience at the end of the day was 332 pages long, with thousands of questions.

And then there were – and are – the statutes properly speaking. Much more extensive and detailed than those provided to the bishops of the dioceses in which the Legionaries have their houses. The five visitors went through a lot of trouble to obtain the statutes in their entirety.

From the statutes one gathers that in addition to the three classical vows of religious orders, of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the Legionaries were bound by two other vows – plus a third called "of fidelity and charity" for the select members of the congregation – which prohibited any kind of criticism and at the same time required telling the superiors about confreres seen violating the ban.

These extra vows were supposed to have been removed by order of the Holy See, in 2007. But the rank and file of the Legionaries do not seem to have been notified of this revocation.

The boundary between the spirit of obedience and the spirit of subjection is not always clear in the congregation founded by Maciel.

Among the Legionaries, the competition encouraged by the rules is to see who can make the most proselytes. And the novice immediately enters a collective machine that completely absorbs his individuality. Everything is meticulously overseen and regulated, in a thicket of limitations. From personal mail to reading material, from visits to travel.

Over the eight months of the apostolic visit, this control was relaxed only in part. Some priests told the visitors about the things they believed were wrong. Others have left the congregation and been incardinated into the diocesan clergy. Others have continued to defend Maciel's legacy. Others feel lost. Still others, finally, have faith in the rebuilding on new foundations of a religious congregation that is part of their lives and that they continue to love.

an never ending story

en by the way: het Vaticaan heeft eveneens een onderzoek bevolen naar de verschijningen in ons favoriete bedevaartsoord Medjugorje...

18-03-2010 om 23:11 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

17-03-2010 om 22:39 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

"Most beloved brethren: Urged by necessity, I, Urban, by the permission of God chief bishop and prelate over the whole world, have come into these parts as an ambassador with a divine admonition to you, the servants of God. I hoped to find you as faithful and as zealous in the service of God as I had supposed you to be. But if there is in you any deformity or crookedness contrary to God's law, with divine help I will do my best to remove it. For God has put you as stewards over his family to minister to it. Happy indeed will you be if he finds you faithful in your stewardship. You are called shepherds; see that you do not act as hirelings. But be true shepherds, with your crooks always in your hands. Do not go to sleep, but guard on all sides the flock committed to you. For if through your carelessness or negligence a wolf carries away one of your sheep, you will surely lose the reward laid up for you with God. And after you have been bitterly scourged with remorse for your faults-, you will be fiercely overwhelmed in hell, the abode of death. For according to the gospel you are the salt of the earth [Matt. 5:13]. But if you fall short in your duty, how, it may be asked, can it be salted? O how great the need of salting! It is indeed necessary for you to correct with the salt of wisdom this foolish people which is so devoted to the pleasures of this -world, lest the Lord, when He may wish to speak to them, find them putrefied by their sins unsalted and stinking. For if He, shall find worms, that is, sins, In them, because you have been negligent in your duty, He will command them as worthless to be thrown into the abyss of unclean things. And because you cannot restore to Him His great loss, He will surely condemn you and drive you from His loving presence. But the man who applies this salt should be prudent, provident, modest, learned, peaceable, watchful, pious, just, equitable, and pure. For how can the ignorant teach others? How can the licentious make others modest? And how can the impure make others pure? If anyone hates peace, how can he make others peaceable ? Or if anyone has soiled his hands with baseness, how can he cleanse the impurities of another? We read also that if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch [Matt. 15:14]. But first correct yourselves, in order that, free from blame , you may be able to correct those who are subject to you. If you wish to be the friends of God, gladly do the things which you know will please Him. You must especially let all matters that pertain to the church be controlled by the law of the church. And be careful that simony does not take root among you, lest both those who buy and those who sell [church offices] be beaten with the scourges of the Lord through narrow streets and driven into the place of destruction and confusion. Keep the church and the clergy in all its grades entirely free from the secular power. See that the tithes that belong to God are faithfully paid from all the produce of the land; let them not be sold or withheld. If anyone seizes a bishop let him be treated as an outlaw. If anyone seizes or robs monks, or clergymen, or nuns, or their servants, or pilgrims, or merchants, let him be anathema [that is, cursed]. Let robbers and incendiaries and all their accomplices be expelled from the church and anthematized. If a man who does not give a part of his goods as alms is punished with the damnation of hell, how should he be punished who robs another of his goods? For thus it happened to the rich man in the gospel [Luke 16:19]; he was not punished because he had stolen the goods of another, but because he had not used well the things which were his. "You have seen for a long time the great disorder in the world caused by these crimes. It is so bad in some of your provinces, I am told, and you are so weak in the administration of justice, that one can hardly go along the road by day or night without being attacked by robbers; and whether at home or abroad one is in danger of being despoiled either by force or fraud. Therefore it is necessary to reenact the truce, as it is commonly called, which was proclaimed a long time ago by our holy fathers. I exhort and demand that you, each, try hard to have the truce kept in your diocese. And if anyone shall be led by his cupidity or arrogance to break this truce, by the authority of God and with the sanction of this council he shall be anathematized."

After these and various other matters had been attended to, all who were present, clergy and people, gave thanks to God and agreed to the pope's proposition. They all faithfully promised to keep the decrees. Then the pope said that in another part of the world Christianity was suffering from a state of affairs that was worse than the one just mentioned. He continued:

"Although, O sons of God, you have promised more firmly than ever to keep the peace among yourselves and to preserve the rights of the church, there remains still an important work for you to do. Freshly quickened by the divine correction, you must apply the strength of your righteousness to another matter which concerns you as well as God. For your brethren who live in the east are in urgent need of your help, and you must hasten to give them the aid which has often been promised them. For, as the most of you have heard, the Turks and Arabs have attacked them and have conquered the territory of Romania [the Greek empire] as far west as the shore of the Mediterranean and the Hellespont, which is called the Arm of St. George. They have occupied more and more of the lands of those Christians, and have overcome them in seven battles. They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the churches and devastated the empire. If you permit them to continue thus for awhile with impurity, the faithful of God will be much more widely attacked by them. On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent. Moreover, Christ commands it."

"All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested. O what a disgrace if such a despised and base race, which worships demons, should conquer a people which has the faith of omnipotent God and is made glorious with the name of Christ! With what reproaches will the Lord overwhelm us if you do not aid those who, with us, profess the Christian religion! Let those who have been accustomed unjustly to wage private warfare against the faithful now go against the infidels and end with victory this war which should have been begun long ago. Let those who for a long time, have been robbers, now become knights. Let those who have been fighting against their brothers and relatives now fight in a proper way against the barbarians. Let those who have been serving as mercenaries for small pay now obtain the eternal reward. Let those who have been wearing themselves out in both body and soul now work for a double honor. Behold! on this side will be the sorrowful and poor, on that, the rich; on this side, the enemies of the Lord, on that, his friends. Let those who go not put off the journey, but rent their lands and collect money for their expenses; and as soon as winter is over and spring comes, let hem eagerly set out on the way with God as their guide."

Bongars, Gesta Dei per Francos, 1, pp. 382 f., trans in Oliver J. Thatcher, and Edgar Holmes McNeal, eds., A Source Book for Medieval History, (New York: Scribners, 1905), 513-17

16-03-2010 om 23:34 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Ambitieus energieplan essentieel voor durfplan economische toekomst

Op 23 april stelde sp.a haar durfplan voor. Het plan is volgens voorzitster Caroline Gennez een antwoord op de crisis en moet de economie van de toekomst creëren.

De crisis is te groot om ze met halve maatregelen op te lossen. Er is de laatste tijd te veel gepraat en te vaak gewacht. Het is tijd voor daden. “Ons programma telt meer dan 100 pagina’s en 500 concrete voorstellen”, aldus Caroline Gennez. “Maar er is zelfs nog meer nodig. Want we zitten midden in de zwaarste economische crisis van ons leven. We hebben echt een hyperactieve regering nodig, die de handen uit de mouwen steekt. Nu meteen.”

sp.a vindt dat de Vlaamse regering de eerste jaren van de volgende legislatuur echt moet investeren in infrastructuur, in een energie-arme economie, in mensen en in solidariteit. Samen met het weer betrouwbaar maken van banken kan Vlaanderen zo een nieuwe start nemen.

Een belangrijk onderdeel van het durfplan gaat over een ambitieus en duurzaam energiebeleid. We staan voor een gigantische uitdaging op het vlak van energieconsumptie en –productie. We moeten tegelijkertijd de overgang naar een lage koolstoffeneconomie maken, onafhankelijker worden in onze energievoorziening op Europees vlak en een concurrentiële markt creëren. En dat alles zonder dat het licht uitgaat, of de prijzen onaanvaardbaar snel stijgen. Iedereen weet dat. Er zijn al veel maatregelen genomen. Maar de vooruitgang is te traag.

Wij willen versnellen. Niet langer achterop lopen in de EU, maar voorop. Onze ambitie is om tegen 2020:

• onze achterstand in energie-efficiëntie van woningen te hebben ingehaald en beter geïsoleerd te zijn dan de Europese landen die zuidelijker van ons liggen,
• alle huishoudens van elektriciteit uit alternatieve bronnen te voorzien en
• het slimste elektriciteitsnet van de hele EU te hebben.

Dit kan en zal ons bovendien extra jobs opleveren. En het zorgt voor innovatie in een groeisector.

De goedkoopste en schoonste energie is degene die je niet verbruikt. Met alle premies en fiscale aftrekken die er nu al zijn, is het rendement van investeringen in energiebesparing gegarandeerd. Toch zijn er vandaag 800.000 woningen zonder dakisolatie. Veel mensen zien de isolatiewerken niet onmiddellijk zitten, beschikken niet over voldoende geld om de kosten voor te schieten, kennen geen goede aannemer of zien op tegen het papierwerk. Daarom stellen wij voor dat de netbeheerders, die elektriciteit en gas in huis brengen, vanaf nu ook de isolatie meebrengen. Het energiebedrijf maakt een bestek op, zoekt een aannemer en prefinanciert de werken. Het bedrijf sluit een akkoord met de steden en gemeenten. Die zetten de bouwmaatschappijen aan de slag om, alles samen, 80.000 huizen per jaar te isoleren. Zo is de klus in 2020 geklaard.

Eens het dak geïsoleerd is, wordt het de moeite waard om er zonnepanelen op te zetten. Ondanks de fiscale aftrek, de groene stroomcertificaten en de premies, plaatsen mensen relatief weinig zonnepanelen. Het initiële investeringsbedrag schrikt mensen af, of maakt het hen onmogelijk. Wij willen mensen een renteloze lening aanbieden, die ze terugbetalen op het ritme van hun fiscale aftrekken, hun opbrengst uit groene stroomcertificaten en hun besparingen op de elektriciteitsfactuur. Concreet stellen we voor dat mensen die gebruik maken van de renteloze lening na drie jaar, dus nadat ze hun fiscale aftrek krijgen, een eerste schijf terugbetalen. Mensen die niet in aanmerking komen voor een belastingvermindering, betalen deze schijf niet terug. Voor hen is dit voorschot een verworven Vlaamse premie. De rest van de lening wordt afgelost over tien jaar of meer.

Om alle huishoudens te voorzien van elektriciteit uit hernieuwbare energie en om de Europese doelstellingen te halen, ontwikkelen we windenergie uit de Noordzee. Nu staan er zes windmolens in de Noordzee. Er is plaats voor meer dan 600. Het goede nieuws is dat we de stappen kennen om van de huidige zes naar 600 windmolens te gaan: we zorgen voor een ondersteunend vergunningsbeleid, we verplichten Elia om een stopcontact in de Noordzee te leggen en we waarborgen als Vlaamse overheid de financiering van de parken. Met een durfbeleid hebben we in 2015 het equivalent van Doel I in de Noordzee staan. Bovendien baten drie nieuwe spelers op de Belgische energiemarkt dit uit. Qua tewerkstelling mogen we deze innovatie niet onderschatten: er komen nieuwe, vaak arbeidsintensieve niches in de sectoren van onder meer de bouw, de baggeraars en de metaalindustrie, die ons toelaten kennis te ontwikkelen en te exporteren.

We denken beter nu al verder dan ons stukje Noordzee groot is. Iets verderop, tussen Schotland, Nederland, Denemarken en Noorwegen, waar nu de olieboorplatforms liggen, ligt een enorme kans om windmolenparken te bouwen. We kunnen die verbinden tot een NoordzeeRing. Zo’n Ring van windmolenparken, zoals uitgetekend in het Masterplan Zeekracht van het architectenbureau van Rem Koolhaas, het OMA, kan even veel energie opwekken als de olievelden in de Golfstaten en Europa voor 2050 grotendeels energieonafhankelijk maken. Vlaanderen kan hierin participeren, industrieel én politiek. De Noordzeering kan de definitieve omslag betekenen van fossiele naar hernieuwbare energie in Europa. En ze kan een symbool worden van Europese samenwerking. Van een Europese visie op de toekomst. Van een Europa van oplossingen. Van een Europa van jobs met toekomst.

Investeren in hernieuwbare energieproductie is één zaak. Deze ook inpassen in het elektriciteitsnetwerk is nog iets anders. Gezinnen, landbouwers, scholen en KMO’s kunnen met hernieuwbare energie-in­stal­la­ties of (micro)warm­te­krachtkoppeling grotendeels zelf hun stroom en warmte produceren. Ze kunnen met het net overschotten en te­kor­ten uitwisselen. Het elektriciteitsnet kan evolueren van een net dat stroom transporteert van enkele grote cen­trales naar duizenden afnemers, naar een ‘internet­structuur’ waar gebruikers ook energie aan kunnen toevoegen. Slimme meters laten toestellen (bijvoorbeeld warmtekrachtkoppelingsinstallaties) op momenten van piekvraag energie opwek­ken en in dalperiodes stroom afnemen (van was­ma­chines, diep­vriezen, plug-in hybride wagens,…). De uitbouw van een duurzaam netwerk veronderstelt een volgehouden inspanning. Er zijn momenteel al lokale pilootprojecten gepland om expertise met slimme meters op te bouwen. We streven naar de veralgemening van intelligente elektronische meters voor 2020.

(Belga) Sp.a wil een radicale hervorming van de energiemarkt. Niet alleen moet tegen 2020 een vijfde van de stroom uit hernieuwbare bronnen komen, ook de prijs moet omlaag en de facturen transparanter. Om de elektriciteit goedkoper te maken, moet de overheid opnieuw meer gaan wegen op de energievoorziening. Het sp.a-energieplan is maandag goedgekeurd op het partijbestuur.

THE BUSINESS SCENE Electricity Markets Comparing competitive and single buyer markets

	Lev S. Belyaev

©Image 100 Many countries are restructuring their electric power industries (EPIs) from regulated monopolies to a competitive electricity market. Competition is expected to increase productivity and decrease production costs and the price of electricity. Countries are at different stages of the restructuring process, and the process is not finished in any country. In spite of a wide variety of possible structures, four main electricity market models can be distinguished. Model 1: Regulated natural monopoly (no competition). This is a vertically integrated company comprising all spheres of electricity production, transmission, distribution, and sale. Model 2: Single buyer (purchasing agency, monopsony). Competition is only among producers. Model 3: Competition in the wholesale market. Model 4: Competition in the wholesale and retail markets. Models 1, 3 and 4 are more popular and better studied. Meanwhile the single buyer model is perhaps the most interesting from the consumer viewpoint. The variations of the electricity market are not perfect and differ from other markets. This is as a result of the fact that EPI is a complicated technologically unified electric power system (EPS). The main properties of an EPS and its influence on electricity markets are considered in the next section. Properties of EPSs and Electricity Markets EPSs have a number of well-known features: a particular role of electricity in the economy and society; the damage caused by sudden interruption of power supply is many times larger than the cost of electricity undersupplied it is impossible to store electricity on a sufficiently large scale the necessity to provide the balance of power demand and supply at every current moment inevitable emergencies of power and electric equipment that make it necessary to reserve (backup) generating capacities and electric ties in EPS. These features influence electricity markets to a great extent. However, there are even more important properties of EPSs in this respect. Specialized transport of electricity (by wires) that results in territorial limitations (local character) of the market; only those consumers and producers who are directly connected to an EPS and via electric ties with sufficient transfer capability can be a part of the market; there are no world electricity market and prices participation of only existing (operating) power plants in the market a technical (physical) barrier for new power producers (NPPs) to enter the market. Change in the daily, weekly and seasonal load of EPS consumers leads to the need to expand generation capacities according to the maximum yearly load of the EPS (taking into account reserves); at other periods of the year, power plants will be underloaded and have lower income that might be insufficient to recover investment the economic expediency to have within the EPS power plants of different types to meet base, peak, and semipeak loads; these plants are the most efficient in their load curve zones and differ in their economic indices (specific capital investments, production costs) the expediency to optimize the structure of generation capacities of the EPS (shares of different power plant types) the formation of marginal prices in the competitive wholesale market (Models 3 and 4) that correspond to the cost of the least-efficient power plants required for the current power supply (to the marginal cost of the marginal unit); marginal prices are much higher than regulated prices (tariffs) in Models 1 and 2. Additionally, this property of the EPS is the reason for organization of the spot electricity market, which is absent in the other markets. In the original conceptions of EPI restructuring, the spot market was supposed to send signals for generation capacity expansion. But the experience and the subsequent studies show that it is not able to provide such signals. The spot market reflects only the current situation, and its signals are too late and unstable to provide timely (and the more so optimal) generation expansion. Restructuring and Consumerism: Single Buyer Market Another perspective in this regulation series is based on the plan for the Siberian market. This article brings forward another discussion of industrial organization. The laws and regulations at the federal and state level to establish competitive markets are under review and continuous attacks. Many have questioned when deregulation will arrive. Others question why competition has failed. Recent workshops by the American Public Power Association (APPA) have shown the range of analysis and the many false assumptions to justify each side. As noted in the this article on restructuring in Siberia, there are several models of industrial organization. Figure A. Industrial organization structure with major cash flows. The single buyer market, at first review, seems to be similar to the California (CA) market established by the independent system operator (ISO). The CA ISO organizational model is shown in Figure A. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorizes the industry operation when business extends beyond the state. The State of California Public Utility Commission (PUC) is in charge of authorizing (regulating) Industry operation within the state. The independently owned utilities (IOUs) are separated into different companies under an umbrella or holding company. The municipal power agencies (MUNIES), cooperative power companies (COOPs), and independent power producers (IPPs) interact with and pay the CA ISO's operating expenses. The IOUs in California with the majority of the assets include Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is one of the municipal agencies. There are many participants as one can determine by examining the FERC-required documents supplied by the CA ISO. The question brought forward at this time is the structure of the auction. The English auction assumes that the seller is paying for the auctioneer when the buyers are bidding to purchase. Similarly, the assumption when the buyer is paying the auctioneer is that the sellers are bidding. In the figure, examine the following cash flows within the U.S. market structure. The cash flows within the holding company are not shown, but there are three alternative cash flows to pay for the operation of the CA ISO. The primary protector of the customer in the previously microregulated environment is the state PUC. The first level of responsibility for an IOU company is the stockholder. The holding company is restricted in the information exchanged between the wholly owned subsidiaries but has the right to direct the subsidiaries for maximum profit. This organization is reminiscent of the vertically organized IOU before the reorganization of the electric utility industry. The operating expenses of the CA ISO are paid by the IOU company, the municipals, the COOPs, and the IPPs. This organization should be compared with the organization recommended in this article exploring an independent buying agent for the customer, paid for by the customer. One should also consider the inherent difference between the IOUs and the municipals and coops who consider their customers as the shareholders. Gerald B. Sheblé Associate Editor, Business Scene High capital-intensity and long time of construction of power plants and some transmissions causes impossibility of a quick elimination of power shortage, if it has occurred in the market for some reasons; many years are required for commissioning (designing and construction) of new power plants (three to five years and more depending on their type); the shortage can be avoided only if its occurrence is not allowed, therefore timely development planning is needed moreover, if a power plant is constructed by a private investor (in Models 3 and 4), then about ten years after the power plant commissioning the investment will need to be paid back. Hence, the private investor should know the EPS expansion conditions and, first of all, the wholesale market prices for the period of about 15–20 years. Clearly, such information will be very uncertain and this creates a high financial risk for the investor and raises an interest on capital at which he will make a decision to invest. The development of EPS implies successive (one by one) construction of new power plants and transmissions. This EPS property leads to an important feature of a competitive electricity market (Models 3 and 4). Every new power plant apart from its production cost will have an investment component required for investment recovery. Therefore, a price that an NPP can offer to the wholesale market will be higher than the price offered by an operating plant of the same kind. Thus, there will be a difference (a "gap") between the electricity cost (and prices) of operating power plants and the prices required for attraction of investments in new power plants. Such a gap creates an economic (price) barrier for NPPs to enter the market. The positive economies of scale, i.e., the effect of a decrease in costs of production, transmission, and distribution of electricity (and its price) at an increase in the total capacity of EPS. This property of EPSs is conditioned by a number of factors that work with increasing EPS scale: reduction of necessary capacity reserves improvement of economic indexes of EPS as a whole due to technological progress in any sphere (production, transmission or distribution of electricity) optimization of generation capacity structure, electric networks, and operating conditions of EPS as a whole< decrease in the share of administrative expenditures with growth of companies. These factors led to formation of modern EPSs and were the reasons for creating natural monopolies in EPI in the first half of the 20th century. The EPI transition from a free market that had existed earlier to the regulated monopoly resulted in a decrease in electricity prices. This effect was achieved in both respects: operation and development of EPSs. In the sphere of EPS operation, the prices were reduced from marginal costs in the free market to average costs in the regulated monopoly. In the sphere of EPS development, the investment component of electricity prices became lower due to the change in mechanisms of financing new power plant construction. Within current EPI restructuring (the return to a competitive market), the positive economies of scale starts to decrease (in Model 2) or is even lost completely (in Models 3 and 4). In particular, the well-known effect of EPS interconnection, consisting of the reduction of necessary generating capacities with intersystem tie construction, cannot be realized in the competitive wholesale markets. The spheres of electricity generation and transmission are separated, investment in the intertie should be made by network companies but the effect (investment savings) is in the generation sphere. It becomes impossible to substantiate the financial effectiveness of the intersystem tie. It can be seen that EPS properties listed are reflected differently in different electricity market models. However, on the whole they testify to the imperfection of electricity markets. A monopolistic nature of the market in Models 1 and 2 is obvious and the state regulation is therefore necessary. In Models 3 and 4, power producers conserve market power to create capacity shortage and raise prices in the wholesale market by the cessation of new power plants construction. Electricity production is, in this case, restricted by the maximum possible production of existing power plants, and capacity shortage will occur while power demand continues to grow. The economic barrier for the new producers mentioned above fosters such market power. A Single Buyer Electricity Market A single buyer market model (Figure 1) differs from the regulated monopoly in the division of generation sphere into several financially independent power generation companies (PGCs) that begin to compete with one another for electricity supply to the common purchasing agency. NPPs can also appear. Spheres of electricity transmission, distribution, and sale remain vertically integrated within one company that is a monopolist relative to consumers as before. Naturally the activity of this purchasing agency, and in particular the setting the prices of electricity bought from producers and sold to consumers, should be regulated by the state (as in Model 1). The agency is also responsible for uninterrupted supply of electricity to consumers. It is supposed that the purchasing agency buys electricity from PGSs according to long-term contracts at fixed prices, terms, and conditions of supply. Contracts with operating (existing) producers are concluded for a period of two to four years. The prices are set individually for each producer at a level close to its production costs (including a "normal" profit). Contracts with new producers, envisaging construction of new power plants, are made for a term of 10–15 years that has to be sufficient for the investment payback. Electricity prices are established at a higher level because of the necessity to recover investments. These facts create some favorable opportunities and circumstances. First, the surplus generation capacities cause the competing producers to offer prices as low as possible, i.e., the benefit of competition is realized. At the same time, with the contracts for several years power producers will have an incentive and time to lower production costs for gaining higher profit. Second, there is a chance to eliminate capacity (and energy) shortage. The purchasing agency responsible for reliable power supply to consumers will plan generation expansion on its territory in advance (as in Model 1): it will forecast power demand, draw up future balances of capacity and energy, etc. It may conclude long-term contracts (for 10–15 years) with PGCs or new producers for additional supply of electricity (from new power plants), if needed. The investor thereby will recover investments with guarantee (similar to the situation with regulated monopoly). The guaranteed investment recovery transfers the risk to the consumer (as in the case of monopoly), on the one hand, but decreases the capital value (the interest rate), on the other hand. For the purchasing agency as a whole, different producers' prices will be averaged by analogy with the regulated monopoly. The higher prices in contracts on power supply from new power plants will also be averaged. Thus the single buyer market can ensure a low tariff level for final consumers. At the same time a benefit of competition among power producers is realized in the market. And with the proper state regulation, the single buyer market should gradually decrease production costs and prices for final consumers of electricity as compared to the regulated monopoly. This is its advantage over the latter. In a microeconomic sense, the single buyer market is a monopsony that is advantageous for buyers (consumers). The latter are in a privileged position relative to producers (in contrast with monopoly market). In the regulated single buyer electricity market, producer's prices are averaged (similar to the regulated monopoly) that provides a low tariff level for final consumers. In principle it can be even lower than in the regulated monopoly due to competition among producers. Certain Items Important for Models Comparison When comparing electricity models, it is necessary to take into account certain circumstances. First, competition is a driving force of the market economy. It results in the fall of costs and finally of prices (especially in the markets with perfect competition). But it is very important to distinguish who will benefit from the competition effect—producers or consumers (buyers)—as their interests are contradictory. The effect for consumers may only be in the decrease of prices. If prices do not decrease or moreover do increase, there is no effect for consumers, and all the effect from competition falls to producer's lot. This is precisely what happens in electricity market Models 3 and 4 where marginal wholesale prices are formed. In principle, both producers and consumers should benefit from the effect. It means that a certain compromise between the interests of producers and consumers has to be reached. Second, the organization of competition in an electricity market is reasonable only if the effect expected from competition is higher than the expenditures to be spent on market infrastructure and negative consequences for consumers from competitive market functioning. Therefore it is necessary to economically compare the expected effect with expenditures and consequences. Certainly this is not an easy matter. But it should be made to the extent possible. Third, shares of costs in different spheres of EPI are approximately as follows: electricity generation: 50–60% electricity transportation and distribution (regulated monopolistic spheres): 40–45% electricity sale: 5%. Therefore, the main effect from competition can be obtained in the generation sphere. And this is implemented in the single buyer market. An effect from competition in retail markets may be very small, and it is doubtful that it will be higher than the expenses on market infrastructure and maintenance of a great number of new selling companies. Fourth, the state regulation of power company activities and electricity tariffs is necessary in the following: vertically integrated monopolies (Model 1) single buyer market (Model 2) competitive markets (Models 3 and 4) spheres of transmission and distribution of electricity (monopolistic ones) all spheres during the periods of capacity shortage or temporary absence of conditions for competition. Thus state regulation is inevitable to a larger or lesser extent in all electricity markets. During the periods of capacity (or electricity) shortage in competitive markets, it should be similar to the regulation in Models 1 and 2. Therefore the state regulation has to be the subject for permanent improvement and perfection. The need for the state regulation in single buyer market should be considered as an advantage rather than disadvantage. Disadvantages of Competitive Markets With the creation of a competitive wholesale market (Model 3), many buyers (distribution-sale companies start to compete with one another (in addition to competition among producers). The competition among buyers (consumers finally) does not lower production costs, i.e., does not increase production efficiency (as it is at competition among producers) worsens the position of buyers in the market and improves the position of producers results factually in the rise of wholesale prices up to marginal costs of a marginal unit, thus causing damage to consumers and bringing super profits (producers' surplus) to producers. Marginal wholesale prices are usually 30–40% higher than the regulated tariffs set at the level of average costs (in Model 1 and 2). Therefore, the competitive wholesale market is profitable only for producers and absolutely not profitable for electricity consumers. Producers obtain not only the entire effect from competition in the generation sphere but also "producers' surplus." For consumers, on the contrary, there is no effect from competition and moreover the price rise causes direct damage, as compared with the single buyer market. There are many other disadvantages of competitive wholesale market against a single buyer market: loss of economies of scale deterioration of reliability (for example, system emergencies in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe in 2003) difficulties with generation expansion due to the economic (price) barrier for new producers to enter the market increase of administrative and overhead expenditures of very many new companies. An effect from the organization of retail markets (Model 4) is highly questionable. The share of costs in the sale sphere is very small. Meanwhile, the creation of many sale companies will lead to the need of rather complicated and expensive systems to register and check electricity sold by different companies. Besides, administrative and other expenditures of these companies will appear. The comparison of all these additional expenditures with possible effect from competition in the sphere of sale is very unlikely to be in favor of the latter. Recent Experience Certain events have been observed in the last three to five years that are interesting for this article. First, developed countries such as France and Japan (and also many states of the United States) still operate vertically integrated monopolies (Model 1). This implies that EPI restructuring is not a universal tendency. Second, many countries have restrained the restructuring process in the single buyer market. This model was implemented in South Korea in 2001 and still exists there. Transition to a competitive wholesale market, originally planned for 2003, was postponed for an uncertain period. An especially successful single buyer market is in China where EPI is developing at a pace never seen before. Third, several countries that moved to competitive electricity markets (Models 3 and 4) went through severe system emergencies or EPI crises. The emergencies noted in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe were at least partly caused by EPI restructuring. The same can be said of the Moscow emergency in May 2005. Quite significant is the situation in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Capacity or electricity shortages followed by price rises have appeared there recently and governments have restored price regulation. With generation divided into many PGCs, a kind of single buyer market turns out to be there. Conclusions Competitive electricity markets (Models 3 and 4) are quite disadvantageous for consumers as compared with regulated markets (Models 1 and 2). The main shortcoming of the competitive wholesale market is the formation of marginal equilibrium prices that are much higher than regulated tariffs. It results in direct damage for consumers and in huge profits for producers. In this case, competitive markets are profitable only for the power producers. The other shortcomings of EPI competitive markets are the loss of positive economies of scale difficulties with generation expansion that may lead to capacity shortage and to an additional price rise increase of administrative and overhead expenditures deterioration of power supply reliability. In the end, these factors also increase production costs and electricity prices, i.e., are unfavorable for consumers. The single buyer electricity market (Model 2) has advantages over both the regulated monopoly (Model 1) and competitive markets (Models 3 and 4). With proper state regulation, electricity tariffs for consumers in the single buyer market can be lower than in the regulated monopoly due to competition among producers. The advantages of the single buyer market over competitive markets were listed above. Therefore, the single buyer market is the best one for consumers. The interest of consumers' side embraces the interests of the whole economy and society (excluding power producers). Naturally, states and governments should first take care of consumers' interests and correspondingly choose or adjust the conception of EPI restructuring. For Further Reading S. Hunt and G. Shuttleworth, Competition and Choice in Electricity. Chichester, UK: Wiley, 1996. L.J. De Vries, "Securing the public interest in electricity generation market," Ph.D.dissertation, Dept. of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft Univ. of Technol., the Netherlands, 2004. L.S. Belyaev, "The need for a regulation of generation capacity development in a competitive electricity market," in Proc. Int. Conf. 2005 IEEE St . Petersburg Power Tech, St. Petersburg, Russia, June 27–30, 2005, p. 8. L.S. Belyaev and S.V. Podkovalnikov, The Electricity Market: Problems of Generating Capacity Expansion (in Russian). Novosibirsk, "Nauka," 2004 . C.R. McConnell and S.L Brue, Economics: Principles, Problems and Policies, 14th ed. Boston, Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 1999. D.N. Hyman, Modern Microeconomics: Analysis and Applications, vol. II. Homewood, IL: Irwin, 1988. S. Fischer, R. Dornbusch, and R. Schmalensee. Economics, 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. H. Rudnick, L.A. Borrso, C. Skerk and A. Blanko, "South American reform lessons," IEEE Power Energy Mag., vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 49–59, 2005. Biography Lev S. Belyaev is chief researcher and head of laboratory at the Energy Systems (ESI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk. His fields of interest cover development, modeling and optimization of various energy systems and assessment of energy technologies.

15-03-2010 om 00:07 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

12-03-2010 om 22:15 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Your smart meter is watching

Technology's ability to reveal intimate details makes useful conservation tool a threat to privacy

A smart meter could reveal whether a home alarm system was engaged.

ROBERT MAXWELL PHOTO

North America's electrical grid is one of the greatest technological achievements of the 20th century. However, at the time of its design, the main goal was to make sure the lights stayed on, with no serious thought to energy efficiency, environmental conservation, alternative energy sources, consumer-tailored choices, or cyber security. But times have changed, and today the grid offers a virtual window into your home – providing granular levels of information such as when you cook or shower, and for how long.

The information and communications technology revolution has changed our society in profound ways and these new technologies are being used to make the current electrical grid "smarter," commonly referred to as the "smart grid." But this is not the future. The deployment of smart meters in Ontario homes is already widespread, and the Ontario government has committed to installing this technology in all homes and small businesses by the end of 2010. President Barack Obama's infusion of $3.4 billion (U.S.) to build the smart grid is greatly accelerating the delivery of the program across the U.S.

Smart meters record and report electricity consumption on an hourly basis – even at the appliance level. Consumers can access their meter data and make individual choices about their energy use, benefitting by taking advantage of future rates.

While this technology is clearly beneficial in terms of valuable efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce consumers' energy bills, it will also give rise to a new challenge – privacy protection. Privacy is the smart grid's sleeper issue. Whenever technology is utilized that targets individual consumers, there is invariably a dramatic increase in the amount of personally identifiable information that is collected and stored, leading to very real concerns regarding privacy. This is why we need to bake privacy into the smart grid at the design stage – known as "privacy by design" – a concept developed to ensure the protection of privacy by making privacy the default in the design of new technologies and business practices.

We must take great care not to sacrifice consumer privacy amid an atmosphere of unbridled enthusiasm for electricity reform. But we need not forfeit one for the other in a zero-sum manner; we can adopt a positive-sum approach, where both interests may prevail.

Information proliferation, lax controls and insufficient oversight of this information could lead to unprecedented invasions of consumer privacy. Intimate details of individual hydro customers' habits, from when they eat, when they shower, to when they go to bed, plus such security issues as whether they have an alarm system engaged, could all be discerned by the data, automatically fed by appliances and other devices, to the companies providing electric power to our homes.

These concerns, however, are not meant to scare us away from the value of monitoring electrical usage data on the grid – giving consumers more control over their electricity usage and giving electricity providers the ability to manage demand requirements – what we need to embrace is the idea that the dissemination of personal information must be done in a privacy protective and transparent manner.

That is why – along with co-author Christopher Wolf – we are releasing a white paper today, SmartPrivacy for the Smart Grid: Embedding Privacy in the Design of Electricity Conservation, which not only emphasizes the necessity of building privacy into the smart grid, but also provides guidance as to what concrete steps can be taken.

For example, data minimization is key: only the minimal amount of personally identifiable information should be provided, based on the nature of the relevant service, such as the first three digits of a postal code, which may be sufficient for services that allow for comparison of neighbourhood averages and other features such as regional electrical usage.

In addition, when an electrical utility company is sharing data with a third-party service provider, a pseudonym, such as a unique ID number, may be utilized instead of a customer's name or some other piece of information that can identify the individual. Further, third-party service providers should enter into contractual agreements not to correlate consumer data with data obtained from other sources, without the consent of the consumer. These are only a few of the steps that may be taken to ensure privacy protection on the smart grid.

The time for action is now, before the smart grid becomes a fully established part of our infrastructure. We cannot allow privacy to become the Achilles heel of this new method of energy management. The information collected on the smart grid will form a large and complex library of personal information, the mishandling of which could be highly invasive of personal privacy. There will be major concerns if consumer-focused principles of transparency and control are not treated as essential design principles. Both public and private sector organizations responsible for the processing of customers' personal information on the smart grid must ensure that privacy is embedded into the design of the smart grid, from start to finish – end-to-end.

If we give consumers assurances that their privacy is protected, we can then ensure consumer confidence and trust, which will allow for the widespread acceptance of the smart grid, in turn contributing to the overall goal of using energy in more efficient and environmentally friendly ways. We cannot and need not sacrifice privacy for energy efficiency. We can have both privacy and a fully functioning smart grid. A positive sum (win-win) outcome for all – electrical utility providers, consumers, the environment and privacy – is there for the asking.

The paper discussed in this article can be viewed at www.ipc.on.ca.

12-03-2010 om 21:39 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Energy and Poverty

'Smart Meters, Smart Justice? Energy, Poverty and the Smart Meter Rollout'

Investigators:

Dr Michael McGann and Dr Jeremy Moss, Social Justice Initiative, Faculty of Arts

Partners:

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria

Report:

'Smart Meters, Smart Justice? Energy, Poverty and the Smart Meter Rollout'

Summary:

Over the coming years, smart meters will be progressively rolled out to households across states in Australia. This will facilitate a number of changes to the way in which electricity is priced and sold in Australia, doing away with the need for monthly or quarterly domestic meter readings and the calculation of domestic electricity bills based upon a flat or inclining pricing structure. Instead, smart meters will allow for the remote reading, connection and disconnection of electricity meters and the introduction of new ways of charging households for their electricity use. These include time-of-use tariffs and critical peak pricing structures (where a higher than normal price is charged for brief periods of exceptionally high demand, such as on extremely hot days where air-conditioner use is high).

The goal of these dynamic pricing initiatives is to make residential electricity consumption more responsive to supply shortages and wholesale costs. However, there is a concern that these new pricing mechanisms may disadvantage certain groups of consumers with little ability to adapt to price signals and who are particularly reliant on electricity for their energy needs (for instance low-income households and households with a health-related electricity need).

The goal of the 'Smart Meters, Smart Justice? Energy, Poverty and the Smart Meter Rollout' project was to evaluate the likely impacts that the introduction of smart meters and the associated pricing innovations will have on low-income and vulnerable households. Through a combination of focus groups and surveys carried out in regional and urban areas of VIC, NSW, QLD, and SA, the project investigated consumer perceptions, behaviours and cost minimisation strategies in order to make recommendations to protect consumer interests and minimise the adverse financial impact of forthcoming changes to the national electricity market.

Findings:

The 'Smart Meters, Smart Justice? Energy, Poverty and the Smart Meter Rollout' report was completed in January 2010 and launched at Parliament House, Canberra on Tuesday February 2, 2010 in conjuction with the Society of St Vincent de Paul's report 'New Meters, New Protections'. The report has found that the Federal Government's new 'smart meter' rollout for energy use could adversely affect the most disadvantaged households in Australia. Time-of-use pricing will severely penalise consumers who cannot shift their use to off-peak period.

The report has found that pensioners, parents with young children, public housing tenants and people with disabilities will be the worst hit by the smart meter rollout and will struggle to cope with an increase in annual electricity costs. These groups may be forced to forgo essential electricity use or give up other items such as food and clothing, because of an inability to afford electricity usage.

The need for smart meters has not been justified to the extent that it is legitimate to exacerbate the poverty and hardship of the vulnerable and disadvantaged.

For further information contact Michael McGann: mmcgann@unimelb.edu.au (03) 8344 3203

Partners Report

SJI's project partner, Society of St Vincent de Paul, has now completed its series of reports on consumer protections and smartmeters. The final report, 'New Meters, New Protections' is available from the Society's website:
http://www.vinnies.org.au/articles-reports-and-speeches-national?link=954

11-03-2010 om 20:23 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Groene stroom onder vuur

• woensdag 10 maart 2010
• 
  
• Auteur: (pse)

pn

© Joost De Bock

BRUSSEL - Groene-stroommakers krijgen in België te veel subsidies. Daarvan zijn ze bij de Creg, de energieregulator, overtuigd. Creg-directeur Guido Camps spreekt ook verontrustende taal over de gasprijs.

De prijzendirecteur van de Belgische energieregulator (Creg) heeft gisteren tijdens een hoorzitting van de Commissie Bedrijfsleven van de Kamer krasse taal gebruikt over de toestanden die er heersen op de geliberaliseerde energiemarkt in ons land.

Zo aarzelde hij niet om te stellen dat de energieleveranciers Electrabel en Luminus elkaar blijkbaar zeer goed verstaan over de manier waarop ze de gasprijs berekenen voor de verbruikers. ‘Ik kan het niet bewijzen maar het vermoeden is toch zeer sterk dat er hier sprake is van een entente', verklaarde de Creg-directeur.

De steen des aanstoots zijn de opvallende gelijkaardige prijsformules bij de twee grootste leveranciers. Met als gevolg dat aardgas in de loop van 2007 in een klap 14procent duurder werd. Zowel de prijzendirecteur van de Creg als een vertegenwoordiger van de Nationale Bank van België, die gisteren eveneens zijn licht liet schijnen over de schommelingen van de elektriciteits- en gasprijs, vermoeden dat het puur gaat om een verhoging van hun winstmarge.

Electrabel en Luminus samen nemen een zeer sterke marktpositie in. 85procent van alle particuliere gasverbruikers in ons land is klant bij een van beide.

Ter vergelijking: tussen midden 2007 en midden 2008 steeg de gasprijs in totaal met 60procent. In de buurlanden steeg de gasprijs overigens veel minder sterk. De gemiddelde prijstoename bedroeg 20procent.

Electrabel wachtte gisteren overigens niet op de hoorzitting in het parlement om al zijn versie over deze forse verhoging van de gasprijs te presenteren. De grootste energieleverancier waste zijn handen in onschuld. Het bedrijf wees erop dat de forse prijsstijging er kwam omdat het zelf meer moest betalen voor het aankopen van aardgas. Dat kwam door de algehele stijging van de energieprijzen vanaf midden 2007. En verder was de stijging volgens Electrabel te wijten aan de distributiekosten en de overheidsheffingen.

De directeur van de Creg liet verstaan dat het gebrek aan concurrentie op de Belgische gasmarkt de leveranciers tot nog toe vrij spel heeft gegeven. Maar er is volgens hem vandaag toch nog een sprankeltje hoop. Guido Camps schrok er gisteren niet voor terug om de lof te zingen van de kleine Luikse energieleverancier Lampiris. Omdat die het heeft aangedurfd om de concurrentiestrijd aan te gaan met de gevestigde waarden Electrabel en Luminus. Gas is bij Lampiris tussen 15 en 20procent goedkoper dan bij de twee marktleiders. Dat komt omdat het op de groothandelsmarkten goedkoop aardgas inslaat.

Het ziet er bovendien naar uit dat tot 2012 en misschien zelfs tot 2015 een massa goedkoop gas op de groothandelsmarkten beschikbaar zal blijven door een wereldwijd overaanbod aan aardgas.

De directeur Energieprijzen van de Creg zei ook uit te kijken naar een aanzienlijke daling van de elektriciteitsprijs. Heel wat stroom in ons land wordt immers opgewekt in gasgestookte centrales. Dat er tot nog toe geen sprake is geweest van een prijsdaling, is volgens hem ook niet meteen een teken van een goede werking van de vrijgemaakte energiemarkt in ons land.

Het ziet er overigens naar uit dat ook de groene stroom de elektriciteitsprijs veel sterker doet stijgen dan eigenlijk nodig is. Dat is volgens Creg-directeur Camps te wijten aan de veel te genereuze subsidiëring van groene-stroomproductie in ons land. Hij had het zelfs over windfall- of superwinst.

Camps aarzelde gisteren niet om dat zo te stellen alhoewel het onderzoek van de energieregulator naar de subsidiëring van groene stroom nog volop bezig is. Het grote probleem volgens de Creg-directeur is dat het rendement van groene-stroomproductie veel lager wordt ingeschat dan eigenlijk het geval is.

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=B36477652100302&kanaalid=14

Windmolens in zee zullen verbruikers meer dan 100 miljoen kosten

• dinsdag 02 maart 2010
• Bron: BELGA
• Auteur: BELGA

Windmolens in zee zullen verbruikers meer dan 100 miljoen kosten

pol de wilde

BRUSSEL - De jaarlijkse kosten van de groenestroomcertificaten verbonden aan het eerste actieve windmolenpark in zee, voor de kust van Oostende, zullen oplopen tot meer dan 100 miljoen euro voor de verbruikers.

Dat blijkt uit een studie van de Creg, de Commissie voor de Regulering van de Elektriciteit en het Gas, die La Libre Belgique dinsdag publiceert.

De totale jaarlijkse kost wordt geschat op 108,25 miljoen euro. Dat raming is gebaseerd op de kosten voor de groenestroomcertificaten, bijkomende kabels in zee en de nodige aansluitingen, en voor de spreiding van de productie, die de netwerkbeheerder (Elia, GRT) moet betalen.

De grootste kost, die van de groenestroomcertificaten, wordt geschat op 100 miljoen euro tegenover 7 miljoen euro voor spreiding van de productie. De schatting van de Creg houdt alleen rekening met het eerste, al actieve windmolenpark in zee, dat van het consortium C-Power voor de kust van Oostende.

Tegen 2018 zouden zes bijkomende windmolenparken operationeel zijn voor de Belgische kust. De rekening voor groenestroomcertificaten dreigt dus nog fiks op te lopen voor Elia. Als er niets verandert, zal de verbruiker opdraaien voor die kosten, oordeelt de Creg.

Voilà,het is altijd prettig een ander deze dingen eens horen te zeggen. Trouwens herinneren jullie zich nog onze juichkreten over Lampiris? Wel, we zijn niet meer alleen om ze proficiat te wensen...

en verder hadden we ook gewaarschuwd voor dit fenomeen dat zich nu dus in de harde realiteit voordoet en dit na een zachte winter...wacht effe af tot volgend jaar na deze winter. We zijn geen pessimisten maar we beginnen het wel stilaan op de heupen te krijgen dat er weinig politiek volk staat te roepen over deze zaken. Maar owee als er één klont klei zou overgeheveld worden van Halle naar Vilvoorde of hoe zat het weer?

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=8N2N9HMV&word=energiefactuur

10-03-2010 om 21:50 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Kosten-batenanalyse invoering slimme meters

De VREG heeft een model laten ontwikkelen om de kosten en baten van een eventuele invoering van slimme meters voor elektriciteit en gas in Vlaanderen te kunnen inschatten. Dit model werd opgesteld door de firma KEMA. In samenwerking met de marktpartijen die deelnamen aan de studie Marktmodel van de VREG, werden een aantal mogelijke scenario's voor de invoering van slimme meters bestudeerd in het model. Het rapport met de eerste conclusies hiervan is nu beschikbaar.

Bij het lezen van het rapport moet rekening gehouden worden met de volgende elementen:

• Het betreft in de eerste plaats een model, waarbij zowel de gebruikte parameters als de toewijzing van de kosten of baten aan bepaalde marktpartijen kunnen aangepast worden in functie van nieuwe ervaringen en van eventuele aanpassingen aan het marktmodel;
• De studie berekent de netto contante waarde van de massale invoering van slimme meters in Vlaanderen volgens een aantal scenario’s. De uitkomst wordt ook opgesplitst per marktpartij;
• De input voor het model kwam zowel vanuit de Vlaamse marktpartijen als vanuit de ervaringen van KEMA en uit internationale studies. Een aantal van de waarden die in het model gebruikt worden, zijn gebaseerd op schattingen. Dit komt ondermeer omdat er maar beperkte internationale ervaring bestaat met de invoering van slimme meters en de effecten daarvan. De studie bevat daarom ook een gevoeligheidsanalyse over de invloed van deze waarden op het resultaat;
• De kosten en baten zijn eerder conservatief ingeschat:
  
  
• Er werd uitgegaan van een voorzichtige besparing van 1,5% op het energieverbruik als gevolg van de invoering van slimme meters. Op basis van eventuele latere pilootprojecten en buitenlandse studies kan dit percentage steeds aangepast worden.
• De kosten konden beter becijferd worden dan de baten. Heel wat baten worden wel vermeld in de studie, maar het bleek zeer moeilijk om deze te kwantificeren, zodat deze niet konden meegeteld worden in de kosten-batenanalyse. De conclusies zijn daarom mogelijk iets te pessimistisch.
• Enkel de kosten en baten die niet zouden voorkomen in het nulscenario (business as usual, geen plaatsing van slimme meters) werden meegenomen. Toch moet opgemerkt worden dat met de invoering van slimme meters meer dan waarschijnlijk een deel van de vooropgestelde doelstellingen betreffende reductie van het energiegebruik worden behaald. Zonder invoering van slimme meters zou dit deel van de reductie op een andere manier bereikt moeten worden, wat ongetwijfeld ook een kostenplaatje heeft.

Een belangrijke vraag is wat dit betekent voor de afnemer. Uit het model blijkt dat vooral de afnemer voordeel doet gezien de energiebesparing die hij kan realiseren. Maar anderzijds dragen de netbeheerders volgens het huidige marktmodel de grootste kosten voor de invoering van slimme meters. De vraag is hoe die kost versleuteld zal worden en wat de impact zal zijn op de distributienettarieven. Deze vragen kunnen op basis van het huidige rapport nog niet beantwoord worden.

Daarnaast is het logisch om een eventuele invoering van slimme meters niet enkel met studies te onderbouwen, maar ook te laten voorafgaan door concrete pilootprojecten om zowel de technische haalbaarheid als de in de studie aangenomen waarden te kunnen aftoetsen. Dit zal nader bestudeerd worden in samenwerking met de sector.

Het model zal nu verder gebruikt worden als instrument om in de toekomst advies te verlenen en beslissingen over de invoering van slimme meters te onderbouwen. De VREG plant om voor het einde van het jaar hierover een eerste advies aan de minister van Openbare Werken, Energie, Leefmilieu en Natuur over te maken.

Vanaf 2014 slimme energiemeters in Vlaanderen

Foto: Oxxio

09-03-2010 om 23:28 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

UK open to fresh talks after Iceland referendum, Netherlands more wary

LEIGH PHILLIPS

Today @ 09:30 CET

Following Saturday's referendum in Iceland in which 93.5 percent of voters voted No to plans to reimburse the Netherlands and the UK for monies lost following the collapse of online bank Icesave, there has been a mixed reaction on the part of the two EU governments.

London has said it is open to fresh talks on the matter while the Hague has warned explicitly that the vote threatens the north Atlantic nation's EU hopes.

PM Sigurdardottir did not vote in the referendum (Photo: Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org )

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With an overall turnout of 62.7 percent of registered voters, 94 percent vote no while just 1.8 percent backed the deal. The remaining four percent and change came from spoilt ballots.

"Talks among the three governments for an alternative resolution of the Icesave issue, however, have already begun," said Icelandic foreign minister Ossur Skarphethinsson, referring to discussions that were suspended on Friday ahead of the vote.

"Negotiators have been meeting in London for the last three weeks for this purpose. These talks have been constructive and positive and the government of Iceland is confident that a solution acceptable to all parties can be achieved."

Indeed, UK chancellor Alistair Darling conceded that his government were open to further negotiations.

"It's not a matter of whether the sum should be paid. There is no question we will get the money back but what I am prepared to do is to talk to Iceland about the terms and conditions of the repayment," he told the BBC on Sunday.

Dutch foreign minister Maxime Verheugen however suggested the result undermined the country's application to join the European Union, saying it was "part of our considerations" as to whether to support the north Atlantic nation's bid.

Last month, the European Commission recommended the EU move ahead with accession talks, but it remains in the hands of the EU's existing member states whether to do so.

Ahead of the vote, there were concerns that the referendum could lead to the financial isolation of Iceland, risking loans from the International Monetary Fund and threatening the country's financial rating.

However, Reykjavik received a show of support from IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Sunday, who said that the fund is "committed to help Iceland" and that the dispute between the country and the Netherlands and the was a "private" matter, suggesting it will not have an affect on the IMF delivering further tranches of aid to the country.

After the Icesave internet bank collapsed in 2008, depositers in the UK and the Netherlands were compensated by their governments to the tune of €3.8 billion. The Hague and London now are demanding Reykjavik pay them back.

The government had agreed to do so, but the terms were considered onerous by a majority of the population. Under the terms of the agreement, the loan was be paid back over 15 years with interest, with estimates suggesting every household will have to contribute around €45,000.

Protest followed passage of the deal in parliament and the country's president to sign the government bill that approved a schedule of payments to the two governments, provoking a referendum on the matter.

Citizens were furious that the financial burden of a crisis caused by bankers would be borne by the people and their public services.

Following the No vote, government nevertheless said that the vote was not a plebicite on whether to pay back the €3.8 billion debt, but the terms of the previous deal and said talks on a better agreement would begin again immediately.

The vote is a heavy blow to the governing left wing coalition, but Prime Minister Sigurdardottir dismissed suggestions that it endangered her administration.

"This has no impact on the life of the government," she of the result.

"Now we need to get on with the task in front of us, namely to finish the negotiations with the Dutch and the British."

Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir did not vote in the referendum.

Meanwhile, UK anti-Third-World debt campaigners, who have alongside their Dutch counterparts attacked their own governments as "bullies" over the issue, cheered the result, saying it gave inspiration to others around the world hobbled by "unjust or unpayable" debts.

"The current system only blames the borrower country – allowing lenders to squeeze the last drop of blood out of their debtors, whatever impact that has on the people who live in the debtor country," said Nick Dearden of Jubilee Debt campaign, which backs the creation of an international debt arbitration tribunal.

"Around the world, many countries still pay far more on servicing unjust debts than they do on health or education for their own people."

Portugal bevriest lonen ambtenaren tot 2013

De Portugese minister van Financiën Fernando Teixeira dos Santos

De socialistische regering in Portugal gaat de lonen van ambtenaren bevriezen tot 2013, zo maakte ze vandaag bekend. De maatregel maakt deel uit van een globaal besparingsplan om het tekort op de begroting terug te dringen tot minder dan 3 procent van het bbp tegen 2013.

Portugal heeft net als Griekenland te kampen met een zwaar begrotingstekort (9,3 procent bbp in 2009) en een oplopende overheidsschuld. Minister van Financiën Fernando Teixeira dos Santos zei dat de schuld in 2012 zal pieken op 90,1 procent van het bruto binnenlands product. Het jaar nadien moet de schuld alweer zakken tot 89,3 pct van het bbp. De Portugese overheid gaat besparen en voor 6 miljard euro nieuwe inkomsten zoeken.

Eén van de maatregelen is de bevriezing van de reële lonen van ambtenaren, naast een plafonnering van de sociale hulp, meer belastingen voor de hogere inkomens en een vermindering van de defensie-uitgaven met 40 procent. Ook de aanleg van een hst-lijn tussen Lissabon en Porto is met twee jaar uitgesteld tot 2017, en tussen Porto en Vigo tot 2015. De 6 miljard euro nieuwe inkomsten zouden komen van privatiseringen. "Een precisering volgt later", aldus minister Teixeira dos Santos. (afp/adv)

08/03/10 17u24

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Lieten: 'Minimumuitkering moet met 150 euro omhoog'

• maandag 08 maart 2010, 16u47
• Bron: belga

Lieten: 'Minimumuitkering moet met 150 euro omhoog'

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BRUSSEL - Volgens Vlaams minister van Armoedebestrijding Ingrid Lieten (SP.A) zijn de minimumuitkeringen niet meer op een niveau om fatsoenlijk te leven. Ze wil dat de federale regering het bedrag optrekt met 150 euro.

Lieten kreeg maandag bezoek van het Netwerk van verenigingen waar armen het woord nemen. Een delegatie daarvan trekt vandaag nog naar het Europees parlement in Straatsburg, om er de armoedeproblematiek in de schijnwerpers te plaatsen. Vooraf passeerden ze langs bevoegd minister Lieten, om ook daar hun eisen te formuleren. Dat België net in het Europees jaar tegen Armoede voor zes maanden EU-voorzitter zal zijn, opent volgens hen perspectieven.

Concreet heeft een werkgroep binnen het Netwerk nagedacht over hoe een Europese armoedestrategie voor 2020 eruit moet zien. Armoedebestrijding in Europa moet overal hetzelfde worden aangepakt, oordeelde die. Een nivellering naar onder is sowieso uit den boze. Voorts moeten de minimuminkomens omhoog, moet naast activering ook werk worden gemaakt van sociale inclusie en is een duurzame tewerkstelling van 70 procent nodig.

Lieten beloofde dat ze zal trachten armoede op de politieke agenda te houden. Tegen eind juni wil ze ook haar actieplan rond krijgen, waar ze momenteel met middenveld en ervaringsdeskundigen aan werkt. En ze zal het systeem van ervaringsdeskundigen zelf - waarbij mensen die uit de armoede ontsnapten de overheid bijstaan - bij de andere EU-lidstaten promoten.

In eigen land gaat Lieten aankloppen bij de federale regering. Ze heeft er met de Vlaamse regering op aangedrongen om de problematiek in overleg met de regio's onder de loep te nemen. Concreet zouden de uitkeringen toch met 150 euro omhoog moeten, oordeelt Lieten.

08-03-2010 om 23:12 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

07-03-2010 om 23:27 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Brussel - De inkomenskloof tussen het Brussels Gewest en de rest van België blijft groeien en bereikt een historisch dieptepunt. Het Brusselse inkomen ligt ondertussen ook een vijfde lager dan dat in Vlaanderen, opnieuw goed voor een record. Amper dertig jaar geleden was de situatie … precies andersom. Dat blijkt uit een analyse van de fiscale inkomens door brusselnieuws.be. [1 reactie]

07-03-2010 om 22:40 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Leterme: "60 miljoen voor MYRRHA goede investering"

Eerste minister Yves Leterme heeft in Mol meer uitleg gegeven over de beslissing van zijn regering om dit en de komende vier jaar in totaal 60 miljoen euro vrij te maken voor het MYRRHA-project van het Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie (SCK-CEN) in Mol. Hij wees onder meer op de verwachte daling in kernafval en meer medische toepassingen.

Duurzame energie
De premier had het over een toekomstgerichte investering en een van de eerste om de economie structureel te versterken. "Het gaat om een reactor van de vierde generatie", zei Leterme. "De regering rekent op een terugverdieneffect. Het risico van nucleair afval zou tot 1.000 keer lager kunnen worden en het volume 100 keer kleiner. Bovendien zal wetenschappelijk onderzoek de medische toepassingen verruimen. Deze investering is goed voor de samenleving en draagt bij tot duurzamere energieproductie."

Details nog niet duidelijk
Het gaat om nieuwe budgetten die worden ingeschreven bij de budgetcontrole in maart, benadrukte de premier. Het geld zal worden gebruikt voor de laatste fase voor de eigenlijke bouw van de MYRRHA-reactor, met conceptuitwerking en wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Daarna is er volgens Leterme "een mechanische overgang" naar de bouw. Die kost wordt geraamd op bijna 1 miljard euro, waarvan de overheid normaal 40 procent op zich neemt. Daarover wilde Leterme echter niet veel kwijt, omdat "daarover nog niet in detail gesproken is" en dat "ook afhankelijk is van Europese co-financiering".

MYRRHA moet bij het SCK-CEN de plaats innemen van de BR2-reactor die al meer dan 45 jaar draait in Mol. Het project zou 2.000 jobs creëren. (belga/svl)

04/03/10 15u30

Nucleaire jobexplosie in het verschiet

• vrijdag 05 maart 2010

Het Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie (SCK) krijgt er met 'Myrrha' een geavanceerde nucleaire onderzoeksreactor bij. Louis Verbraeken

© Louis Verbraeken

05-03-2010 om 22:38 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Grieken in shock na aankondiging besparing

De Griekse bevolking verkeert in shock nadat de regering woensdag aankondigde dat er 4,8 miljard euro moet worden bespaard. 'God helpe ons', titelt de conservatieve krant Apogevmatini.

(belga) - 'Een lawine aan maatregelen zal ons leven veranderen', schrijft Eleftherotypia. Alle kranten lijken het er wel min of meer over eens dat de besparing nodig is om het failliet van hun land te vermijden.

De Griekse regering kondigde woensdag een hele resem besparingsmaatregelen aan. Zo wordt het btw-tarief verhoogd van 19 naar 21 procent. De pensioenen worden bevroren, zowel in de openbare als in de privésector. Er komen bovendien hogere taksen op tabak (+ 63 procent), alcohol (+ 20 procent), brandstoffen en luxeproducten.

De dagbladen vrezen donderdag openlijk dat niet alleen de kleinhandelaars, maar ook de middenstanders deze ingrepen niet zullen overleven. 'De Griekse markt zal uitsterven', spiegelt Vradyni voor.

Volgens de kranten gaat het om de ergste crisis die Griekenland ooit gekend heeft. 'De overheidsmaatregelen hebben de Grieken getroffen als een elektrische schok', aldus de krant Ta Nea, die dicht bij de socialistische regering staat. 'Dit wijzigt ons leven ingrijpend.'

Zowat driehonderd leden van de communistische vakbond hebben intussen het ministerie van Financiën in Athene bezet. Ze verhinderen de ambtenaren de toegang. De overheidsvakbond plant een 24-urenstaking op 16 maart.

Eilanden verkopen

Griekenland krijgt intussen ook raadgevingen uit allerlei hoeken. Duitse parlementsleden opperen zelfs de mogelijkheid om enkele eilanden te verkopen, traditioneel populaire vakantiebestemmingen bij de Duitsers.

'Geef ons Korfoe en wij geven jullie centen', laat parlementslid Frank Schäffler van regeringspartij FDP weten. Griekenland telt zowat zeshonderd eilanden, het merendeel onbewoond.

Bondskanselier Angela Merkel ontvangt vrijdag de Griekse premier Papandreou.

‘We give you cash, you give us Corfu!’ German MPs suggest Greece sell its islands (and the Acropolis) to pay off its debt

Posted on 04 March 2010 by Apostolos Papapostolou ShareThis

With Greece facing an intense financial crisis and possible countrywide bankruptcy, Germany has suggested that some of their islands may be the answer.
On Thursday, Josef Schlarmann, a Senior Member of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, and Frank Schaeffler, a Finance Policy Expert in the Free Democrats, stressed that selling of islands and other similar assets might just be the way Greece should take to climb out of the debt and deficit crisis it is facing.
“Those in insolvency have to sell everything they have to pay their creditors. Greece owns buildings, companies and uninhabited islands, which could all be used for debt redemption”, said Mr. Schlarmann.
A legisltator in Chancellor Angela Merke;s conservative CDU party, Marco Wanderwitz, said Athens should provide ‘collateral for any money it receives from the European Union to help it out of its debt crisis – in this case, certain Greek islands also come into question.’
‘We give you cash, you give us Corfu!’ said the racy Bild national newspaper in a tone which many suspect was only half in jest.
It has also been suggested that all money given by the EU should be placed directly into securing the gap made by the massive debt Greece has acquired since 2006.

04-03-2010 om 22:38 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Het GEINTEGREERD KUSTVEILIGHEIDSPLAN

… beschermt al wat jij lief hebt tegen de zee…

De Vlaamse kust is amper 67 kilometer lang. Maar elke meter wordt intensief gebruikt. Woon- en natuurgebieden, toeristisch recreatieve en industriezones hebben er hun plaats ingenomen. Elke sector heeft veel en specifieke behoeften. Om een leefbaar evenwicht te kunnen realiseren tussen alle belangengroepen moet men zowel vandaag als in de toekomst intensief samenwerken.
Dat gebeurt al in het kader van een studie die de afdeling KUST in 2007 is gestart voor een GEÏNTEGREERD KUSTVEILIGHEIDSPLAN.
De kust, alle bewoners, bezoekers en passanten, al wie er werkt, al wat het hebben en houden van deze mensen, hun woningen en bedrijven, kortom, al wie er woont en al wat er er aanwezig is moet beschermd worden tegen de zee.
Het Plan zal als basis dienen voor het ontwikkelen van een veilige kust en om die veiligheid nu en in de toekomst te waarborgen. De lopende studie is een samenwerking tussen de afdeling KUST, het Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium, de Universiteit Gent en het studiebureau IMDC.
Deze studie zoekt uit hoe men stelselmatig de bescherming van de kust tegen zeer zware stormen kan verhogen en welke maatregelen nodig zijn als men rekening houdt met een versnelde rijzing van de zeespiegel. Men zoekt een beschermingsniveau dat minstens tot 2050 kan worden gehandhaafd.
De afdeling KUST organiseert met de belangrijkste actoren in de kustregio regelmatig overleg rond het Plan en betrekt Europese partners bij de opmaak.

De eerste resultaten van de studie tonen dat ruim 1/3 van de kust onvoldoende beschermd is tegen de zogenaamde ‘superstormen’. De economische schade kan hier oplopen tot enkele miljarden en er kunnen minstens 4000 slachtoffers vallen. Middelkerke, Oostende vanaf Raversijde tot het centrum, Wenduine-centrum en de 4 kusthavens zijn kwetsbare zones. Ook gemeenten en badplaatsen als De Panne, Sint Idesbald, Koksijde, Westende, Blankenberge, Duinbergen en Knokke-Zoute verdienen extra aandacht.
Voor alle kwetsbare zones wordt een pakket maatregelen uitgewerkt. Milieueffecten, maatschappelijke kosten en baten en de vermindering van het overstromingsrisico worden voor elke maatregel in detail bestudeerd. De grote lijnen zijn al bekend. In de badzones zou men voornamelijk de stranden moeten verhogen en plaatselijk de zeedijken versterken. In de havens denkt men aan de bouw van stormmuren rond de havengeulen, aan het verhogen van de kaaiterreinen of zelfs aan de bouw van stormvloedkeringen.
Wanneer per kustgemeente, badplaats of kuststad de maatregelen gekend zijn, zal de afdeling KUST besprekingen opstarten met de lokale besturen om de ingrepen te optimaliseren. Men zal rekening houden met de noden van elke gemeente.
Voor de uitvoering van de werken zal volgens een eerste raming een budget nodig zijn van ruim 300 miljoen euro. Het GEINTEGREERD KUSTVEILIGHEIDSPLAN zal in 2010 klaar zijn, samen met de definitieve kostenraming. De aanvragen voor bouwvergunning en de werken zelf zijn voorzien tussen 2010 en 2015.

Nieuwsbrief 1 'Geïntegreerd kustveiligheidsplan' (pdf, nieuw venster)

Nieuwsbrief 2 'Geïntegreerd kustveiligheidsplan' (pdf, nieuw venster)

Nieuwsbrief 3 'Geïntegreerd kustveiligheidsplan' (pdf, nieuw venster)

Kennisgeving Plan-MER (pdf, nieuw venster, +50 MB!)

03-03-2010 om 22:27 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever  

Windmolens in zee zullen verbruikers meer dan 100 miljoen kosten

• dinsdag 02 maart 2010

Windmolens in zee zullen verbruikers meer dan 100 miljoen kosten

pol de wilde

BRUSSEL - De jaarlijkse kosten van de groenestroomcertificaten verbonden aan het eerste actieve windmolenpark in zee, voor de kust van Oostende, zullen oplopen tot meer dan 100 miljoen euro voor de verbruikers.

Dat blijkt uit een studie van de Creg, de Commissie voor de Regulering van de Elektriciteit en het Gas, die La Libre Belgique dinsdag publiceert.

De totale jaarlijkse kost wordt geschat op 108,25 miljoen euro. Dat raming is gebaseerd op de kosten voor de groenestroomcertificaten, bijkomende kabels in zee en de nodige aansluitingen, en voor de spreiding van de productie, die de netwerkbeheerder (Elia, GRT) moet betalen.

De grootste kost, die van de groenestroomcertificaten, wordt geschat op 100 miljoen euro tegenover 7 miljoen euro voor spreiding van de productie. De schatting van de Creg houdt alleen rekening met het eerste, al actieve windmolenpark in zee, dat van het consortium C-Power voor de kust van Oostende.

Tegen 2018 zouden zes bijkomende windmolenparken operationeel zijn voor de Belgische kust. De rekening voor groenestroomcertificaten dreigt dus nog fiks op te lopen voor Elia. Als er niets verandert, zal de verbruiker opdraaien voor die kosten, oordeelt de Creg.

3. Financiering van de onderzeese kabel

Overeenkomstig artikel 7, §2, van de wet van 29 april 1999 betreffende de organisatie van de elektriciteitsmarkt is het zo dat, voor nieuwe installaties voor de productie van elektriciteit uit wind in de zeegebieden waarin België zijn rechtsmacht kan uitoefenen overeenkomstig het internationaal zeerecht, die het voorwerp uitmaken van een domeinconcessie, de netbeheerder instaat voor één derde van de kostprijs van de onderzeese kabel met een maximumbedrag van 25 miljoen euro voor een project van 216 MW of meer. Deze financiering van 25 miljoen euro wordt naar rato verminderd, wanneer het project minder dan 216 MW bedraagt. In dit bedrag is begrepen de aankoop, de levering en de plaatsing van de onderzeese kabel alsmede de aansluitingsinstallaties, de uitrustingen en de aansluitingsverbindingen van voormelde productie-installaties. Deze financiering wordt over vijf jaar gespreid, a rato van één vijfde per jaar vanaf het begin van de werken.

De CREG controleert de voor de financiering in aanmerking te nemen totale kosten op basis van de offerte of offertes die de titularis van de domeinconcessie aanmerking neemt bij toepassing van de wet van 24 december 1993 betreffende de overheidsopdrachten en sommige opdrachten voor aanneming van werken, leveringen en diensten (zie Beslissing van 19 oktober 2006 over de controle van de door de netbeheerder voor de financiering in aanmerking te nemen totale kosten voor de aankoop, levering en plaatsing van de onderzeese kabel alsmede de aansluitingsinstallaties, de uitrustingen en de aansluitingsverbindingen van de productie-installaties van het offshore-windturbinepark op de Thorntonbank, Beslissing van 26 februari 2009 over de controle van de door de netbeheerder voor de financiering in aanmerking te nemen totale kosten voor de aankoop, levering en plaatsing van de onderzeese kabel alsmede de aansluitingsinstallaties, de uitrustingen en de aansluitingsverbindingen van de productie-installaties van het offshore windturbinepark op de Bligh Bank).

Interview met Johan Vande Lanotte | voorzitter Electrawinds

Hij heeft Electrawinds leren kennen in 2005 toen het windbedrijfje van 5 man verhuisde van Brugge naar Oostende. Niet iedereen was toen overtuigd van het groeipotentieel maar Johan Vande Lanotte wel. 2 jaar later, na de verkiezingen van 2007, wordt de ex vice-premier voorzitter van Electrawinds.

02-03-2010 om 23:05 geschreven door Vorser-Raadgever