As the European Parliament prepares to adopt its position on the ‘REPowerEU’ part of the plan to facilitate the installation of renewable energy sources, the European Commission Vice-President in charge of the Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, expressed concerns about amendments tabled by some MEPs on Tuesday 13 December during a debate in the Strasbourg Chamber.
“If we want to accelerate the deployment of renewables, we must streamline radically the administrative procedures to approve renewable projects”, the Vice-President began, on the eve of the Parliament’s vote on the draft report.
He then welcomed MEPs’ wish to strengthen the Commission’s original proposal by further shortening the permit-granting procedures for certain renewable energy projects (see EUROPE 13062/13).
However, he sees issues with several amendments submitted for a vote in plenary.
He criticised Parliament’s rapporteur Markus Pieper (EPP, German) for wanting to include biomass combustion plants among the projects eligible for fast-track procedures under the future ‘renewable energy zones’, as “biomass combustion plants can be built anywhere”.
Mr Timmermans also criticised a Greens/EFA amendment to exclude new hydropower projects from these areas, arguing that “suitable go-to areas can be identified where there would be no significant environmental impact”.
He added: “The Commission regrets the amendments making the tacit approval of projects voluntary (whereas) tacit approval would give a much needed incentive for the Member States to reinforce staffing in permitting authorities”.
Approved on 14 November in the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Pieper’s draft report concerns the parts of ‘REPowerEU’ that consist of amending certain provisions of the Renewable Energy (RED II - 2018/2001), Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD - 2010/31) and Energy Efficiency (2012/27) Directives. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)