Legislation: COM(2004) 366 final: Communication of the European Commission of 26/05/2004 on the share of renewable energy in the EU

Website: ec.europa.eu/energy/res/legislation/share_res_eu_en.htm

Interview given by Mr Alfonso González-Finat

European companies lead the world in renewable energy technology. However, a recent Commission report shows that the share of renewable energies in the EU is expanding too slowly to achieve the targets set out for Europe. In an interview given for ManagEnergy, Mr Alfonso González-Finat, Director for New Energies, Demand Management and Sustainable Development in the European Commission, explains the report's key messages for Europe.

• View interview (8 Min) using RealPlayer
• View interview (8 Min) using Windows Media Player

Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament

The share of renewable energy in the EU

Commission Report in accordance with Article 3 of Directive 2001/77/EC, evaluation of the effect of legislative instruments and other Community policies on the development of the contribution of renewable energy sources in the EU and proposals for concrete actions

• Commission Press Release 25 May 2004 (14 Kb PDF)
  
  

Executive Summary

1. As set out in the Green Paper on security of energy supply (2000), key priorities for European Union energy policy are to address the Union's growing dependence on energy imports from a few areas of the world, and to tackle climate change. Looking ahead to the next twenty to thirty years, the Green Paper drew attention to the structural weaknesses and geopolitical, social and environmental shortcomings of the EU's energy supply, notably as regards European commitments in the Kyoto Protocol.
   
   The promotion of renewable energy has an important part to play in both tasks. Since 1997, the Union has been working towards the ambitious target of a 12% share of renewable energy in gross inland consumption by 2010. In 1997, the share of renewable energy was 5.4%; by 2001 it had reached 6%.
   
   
2. This Communication assesses the state of development of renewable energy in the European Union. It serves three purposes:
   • The formal report that the Commission is required to make under Article 3 of Directive 2001/77/EC, evaluating the progress made by the EU15 towards achieving national targets for 2010 for electricity from renewable energy sources;
   • Assessment of the prospects for achieving the target of a 12% share of renewable energy in overall energy consumption in the EU15 in 2010 (including heating, electricity and transport), taking into account EU legislation since 2000 and other measures in renewable energy and energy efficiency;
   • Proposals for concrete actions at national and Community level to ensure the achievement of EU renewable energy targets for 2010, in the context of the Bonn World Renewable Energy Conference (June 2004) and, building on this, the line to take on the scenario for 2020.
   
   
3. In accordance with Directive 2001/77/EC, all Member States have adopted national targets for the share of electricity production from renewable energy sources. These are mostly in line with the reference values given in Annex I of the Directive.
   
   If Member States adopt the measures necessary for the achievement of their national targets, the share of electricity from renewable energy sources in EU15 electricity production should approximate to the share of 22% targeted by the Directive.
   
   However, analysis of the progress reports that Member States have submitted to the Commission shows that policies and measures currently in place will probably achieve a share of only 18-19% in 2010 compared to 14% in 2000.
   
   One of the reasons for this discrepancy appears to be that a number of Member States have not yet introduced active policies in line with the targets that they adopted.
   
   The Commission will closely monitor the situation in those Member States, and the full implementation of all requirements of the Directive, in order to prepare followup actions at a later stage.
   
   
4. Since 2000 the Commission has proposed a considerable number of new legal instruments to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. The European Parliament and Council have adopted most of them. The remainder are in an advanced stage of the inter-institutional process.
   
   The adopted proposals are:
   • Directive 2001/77/EC on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources (OJ L283/33, 27.10.2001)
   • Directive 2003/30/EC on the promotion of biofuels (OJ L123/42, 17.5.2003)
   • Directive 2002/91/EC on energy performance of buildings (OJ L1/65, 4.1.2003)
   • Directive 2004/8/EC on the promotion of cogeneration (OJ L52/50, 21.2.2004)
   • Directive 2003/96/EC for the taxation of energy products and electricity (OJ 283/51, 31.10.2003)
   • Directive 2000/55/EC on energy efficiency requirements for ballasts for fluorescent lighting (OJ L279/33, 01.11.2000)
   • Commission Directive 2002/40/EC on labelling of electric ovens (OJ L128/45, 15.05.2002)
   • Commission Directive 2002/31/EC on labelling of airconditioners (OJ L86/26, 03.04.2003)
   • Commission Directive 2003/66/EC on labelling of refrigerators (OJ L170/10, 09.07.2003)
   • Regulation 2422/2001/EC on Energy Star labelling for office equipment (OJ L332/1, 15.12.2001)
   
   The proposals under examination by the European Parliament and Council are:
   • COM (2003)453 of 01.08.2003 on Eco design requirements for energy using products
   • COM (2003)739 of 10.12.2003 on energy efficiency and energy services
   
   
5. The Commission also brought forward a proposal for the multiannual programme Intelligent Energy - Europe (IEE), building on the successes of previous Community support programmes (ALTENER, SAVE and RTD). The European Parliament and Council adopted the proposal in June 2003 with a budget of €250 million.
   
   
6. With the measures that have been put in place, the Commission estimates that the share of renewable energy sources in the EU15 is on course to reach 10% in 2010. The shortfall compared to the 12% target is caused by sluggish growth of renewable energy markets for heating and cooling, leading to the conclusion that considerable extra action is needed in this sector to enable the full 12% target to be reached.
   
   However, this assessment assumes full implementation of the requirements of EU legislation by national and local authorities. The example of Directive 2001/77/EC demonstrates that this cannot be taken for granted. If this directive delivers only a 18- 19% renewable energy share of the electricity market in 2010, then the share of renewable energy in energy consumption as a whole will reach no more than 9%.
   
   With a framework of Community legislation in place, it is to Member States that responsibility falls for ensuring that the agreed targets and measures are, in fact, implemented on the ground. This will require a wide range of national actions, including efforts to ensure that established firms in the energy supply industries pay a share of the costs of promoting renewable energy.
   
   The Communication also announces a number of additional concrete actions at Community level in order to support Member States' efforts to achieve the EU15 12% share.
   
   
7. The World Renewable Energy Conference, to be held in Bonn in June 2004, will address the promotion of renewable energy across the globe as a means to combat climate change, promote the security of energy supply and - notably for developing countries - reduce poverty.
   
   A European preparatory conference held in Berlin in January 2004 considered that the use of overall, general targets for renewable energy should be extended beyond 2010. It noted a range of technical studies that suggest a target of at least 20% of renewable energy in overall energy consumption in the EU25 in 2020, using the tools established in existing Community legislation and additional actions to deliver results.
   
   The Commission is committed to contributing to the successful outcome of this conference and has highlighted a number of actions it will offer as an input the International Programme of Action.

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