EU renewables industry commends EC’s renewable energy pledge

The European renewables industry has welcomed the first State of the Energy Union which committed to a decarbonised energy system and set milestones for the future governance of the Energy Union.

The joint statement issued by the European renewable energy industry says that a robust and reliable governance system is necessary to fill in the current regulatory vacuum and to ensure that the EU has a strong home market able to deliver the economic and job creation benefits of renewable energies to European citizens.

It also welcomes the European Commission’s commitment to:

• Ensure that all Member States deliver on the EU’s collective 2030 targets of 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, at least 27% renewables in energy consumption, and an indicative target of at least 27% improvement in energy efficiency, by anchoring the governance of the Energy Union in legislation, including a ‘robust supervisory framework’ and a ‘solid reporting and monitoring system’,
• Come forward with complementary EU-wide measures and policies in case Member States’ collective efforts fall short of the 27% target, as part of the new Renewable Energy directive.

The renewables industry has stressed that it is essential for the Commission to set out legislative proposals scheduled for 2016 before finalising a binding template of the national plans, in order to ensure that national plans can properly take into consideration the review of all relevant legislation, and highlights that the new renewable energy directive must include the governance elements relative to renewable energy.

Also, the industry points out that clear legal basis and a reinforced oversight by the Commission over Member States’ progress towards the 2030 renewables target is needed, and also states that Member State energy and climate plans should include trajectories for increasing the share of all renewable energy technologies up to 2030, as well as trajectories for energy demand in all sectors.

The signatories of the statement include Ocean Energy Europe, The European Wind Energy Association, European Renewable Energies Federation, and Solar Power Europe, amongst others.

Image: OEE/Illustration