Estonia and Luxembourg concluded an agreement on Monday 13 November on statistical transfers of renewable energy amounts which will allow Estonia, which, in 2015, achieved its 2020 target of 28.6% renewable energy in its gross final energy consumption, to help Luxembourg, which is struggling to meet a 5% objective by 2015, to reach its target of 11% renewable energy in its national energy mix by means of a statistical transfer of a set quantity of renewable energy produced in Estonia.
Under the terms of the agreement, Estonia will transfer a minimum volume of renewable energy target amounts in 2018 and 2020 to help Luxembourg reach its 2020 national renewable energy target. The agreement includes the option for additional transfers in the future. The revenues received by Estonia from Luxembourg are to be used to finance projects in the areas of renewable energy or energy efficiency.
This is the second cooperation agreements on a statistical transfer of renewable energy amounts. The first was concluded between Luxembourg and Lithuania on 26 October (see EUROPE 11894).
The statistical transfer of renewable energy is a cooperation mechanism contained in the 2009 renewables directive. It allows countries that have greater and more viable renewable energy potential to help other countries reach their national targets while at the same time helping the EU as a whole to achieve the objective of 20% renewable energy by 2020.
Transfers become effective only after all countries involved in the transfer have notified the European Commission.
The Commission has advocated continuing with these cooperation mechanisms in its proposal on revising the renewables directive for the post-2020 period. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)