After seven sessions of negotiations, and more than 14 hours of final negotiations, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive on the morning of Thursday 30 March. Negotiators from the two EU institutions managed to agree on increasing the share of renewables in this decade by sector and gave a small role to nuclear in one of the flagship legislative proposals of the ‘Fit for 55’ package.
The overall target for the share of renewable energy in overall energy consumption in the EU has been increased to 42.5% by 2030 (from the current 32%), with an indicative ‘top-up’ of 2.5% to reach 45%. With this new target, the current share of renewable energy in the EU is almost doubled (22%, under the current rules).
Faster licensing
With the future directive, Member States will create renewable energy acceleration areas. Projects will then be subject to a simplified licensing procedure. The deployment of renewable energy will also be considered to be in the ‘overriding public interest’, which will limit the grounds for legal objection to new installations.
“Today, a procedure to build a wind farm can take 5 to 7 years. It is far too slow. You really have to put your foot down. If after 12 months, a project is not authorised by the Member States, then it should be automatically authorised. I think this is a non-bureaucratic Europe, a fast-track Europe with positive repercussions for the use of renewable energies”, said Markus Pieper (EPP, German) after the negotiations.
More renewables in the industry sector and a compromise on ‘low carbon’
This is the first time that industry has been given a specific target under the Renewable Energy Directive. It will have to increase its use of renewable energy by 1.6% each year.
In addition, 42% of the hydrogen used in the sector will have to come from renewable non-biological fuels (‘RFNBOs’), such as renewable hydrogen and synthetic hydrogen fuels, by 2030 (60% by 2035).
The agreement allows this target for the contribution of RFNBOs to be revised downwards (20%) under two conditions: - that the Member States’ national contribution to the overall binding EU target is in line with the expected contribution; - that the share of hydrogen from fossil fuels consumed in the Member State does not exceed 23% in 2030 and 20% in 2035.
Low-carbon hydrogen (from nuclear energy), which had given rise to much debate between Member States on the EU Council side (see EUROPE 13150/3), is therefore taken into account. In other words, Member States “with a decarbonised energy peak, in particular through the use of nuclear energy, can benefit from adjustments in the achievement of their industrial and RFNBO targets”, the office of the shadow rapporteur of the directive, Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe, French), said in a statement.
A 5.5% target for renewable hydrogen and synthetic hydrogen fuels for transport
One specific objective, which the co-legislators had also discussed at length in previous negotiating sessions, is the transport sector (see EUROPE 13146/4).
The representatives of the European Parliament and the EU Council finally agreed on a hybrid binding target, which had been put forward by the Member States. The latter will have the choice between a 14.5% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity in transport through the use of renewable energy by 2030 or at least a 29% share of renewable energy in the final energy consumption of the transport sector by 2030.
For advanced biofuels (usually derived from non-food feedstocks) and RFNBOs, such as renewable hydrogen and hydrogen-based synthetic fuels, they will have to reach 5.5% of the share of renewable energy in the transport sector. Within this target, a minimum of 1% is required exclusively for RFNBOs.
“It is not a question of imposing any technology, nor is it a question of imposing the abolition of internal combustion engines or imposing electric engines. It is about setting targets and then giving Member States the opportunity to achieve them”, said Markus Pieper.
49% of renewable energy in the buildings sector
The provisional agreement sets an indicative target of at least 49% renewable energy in buildings by 2030.
It provides for a gradual increase in renewable energy targets for heating and cooling, with a binding increase of 0.8% per year at national level until 2026, and 1.1% between 2026 and 2030. This minimum annual average rate is supplemented by additional indicative increases calculated specifically for each Member State.
A ‘cascade principle’ for bioenergy
The provisional agreement strengthens sustainability criteria for the use of biomass for energy purposes, in order to reduce the risk of unsustainable bioenergy production. In addition, the use of palm oil and soya is ruled out.
A ‘cascade principle’ will apply. This means that biomass is used according to its highest economic and environmental added value. The provisions aim, inter alia, to ensure that forest biomass does not come from certain areas of particular importance for biodiversity and carbon stocks.
The provisional agreement must now be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the EU Council. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)