On Thursday 26 October, Lithuania and Luxembourg concluded the first ever statistical transfer of sustainable energy agreement. This will enable Lithuania (the country reached its 23% initial 2020 target of renewable energies in its energy cluster in 2015) to help Luxembourg (with a 5% target in 2015) which is lagging behind, reach its 11% renewables target through a statistical transfer of a calculated amount of renewable energy produced in Lithuania.
The statistical transfer of renewable energy is a cooperation mechanism included in the 2009 directive on the promotion and use of renewable energies. This helps countries with a more profitable and abundant source of renewable energies help other countries reach their respective national targets, whilst helping the EU as a whole to reach is 20% renewables target by 2020.
The transfers only become effective once all member states involved in the transfer have notified the Commission.
The Commission has proposed the continuation of these cooperation mechanisms in its draft revision of the post-2020 “renewables” directive. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)