Brussels, 06/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - Just when the European directive on renewable energies is meant to be transposed in Member States, the WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) has sounded the alarm: it is likely that Member States won't reach the indicative objective fixed for Member States of 22% energy being produced by renewable sources (12% of total energy consumption) by 2010. On the basis of current performances by Member States the WWF considers that at a Union level, this figure will be at 17% maximum by the time of the deadline. In these conditions how can the EU reach its objective of reducing greenhouse gases by 2010 as laid down in the Kyoto Protocol on climate change? With this question and worry facing it, the WWF is calling on the Commission to remind Member States of their obligations and to take new measures to create a renewable energy market. The status quo will only lead to failure. A note has been addressed to Loyola de Palacio on 2 October, the European Commissioner for Energy on this issue.
Stefan Singer, Head of energy policy at the WWF declared at a press statement on 2 October in Brussels, “On 27 October Member States are supposed to transpose the directive and deliver a report to the Commission on the measures taken to meet their objective. There is no need to wait for the situation in France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Greece, to be revealed where it is alarming. The other countries are doing a little better. It's just as serious as the promotion of renewable energy is the only coordinated policy adopted by the Union to provide itself with the means for reaching the Kyoto objectives. Nothing in this context exists in cogeneration and energy efficiency.
WWF fears are based on the fact that 1) although EU Member States have adopted national targets for renewable power, not enough measures have been taken to overcome the main barriers to the entry of renewable electricity into the market. 2 ) a system known as 'feed-in tariffs', which guarantees prices for producers of renewable energy, is the most successful way of allowing renewable electricity to compete with often-subsidised fossil and nuclear power. It has been used by Denmark Germany and Spain and is now being taken up by some other EU governments France and Austria) and has the advantage of rapid implementation and helping to lower the price of technology. The WWF is convinced that the EU's 22 per cent target could still be met if the following actions were taken by Member States: - 'feed-in' systems established with tariffs high enough to ensure renewables can compete with fossil and nuclear power and based on 10-15 year contracts priority access to the grid for renewable power less bureaucracy for small producers of renewable electricity internationally harmonized guidelines to ensure that planning authorities do not unnecessarily block the siting of renewable energy projects all electricity producers, and not just those producing renewable electricity, should have to guarantee the origin of their energy.
To effectively tackle climate change is crucial to set long term objectives for renewable energies beyond 2010, which are legally binding, as indicated status is too often interpreted as facultative, asserts the WWF. It is therefore calling for the Commission to immediately propose a coordinated and binding legal framework for fixing a 25% objective for renewable energies by 2020 and the close monitoring of how Member States implements adoption of the directive.
The WWF is attacking the complacent interpretation of the directive by Italy, which is proposing to categorise renewable energy as that obtained by incinerating non-organic waste and even refined bi-products by making them eligible for incentives like for biomass, solar and win energy. France is accused of putting restrictions on planning and development of solar energy projects. This could significantly hold up wind energy power and making this part of the national objective. The WWF considers that the UK's limited number of planned renewable energy projects brings into doubt the effectiveness of the system put into place for promoting renewable energy.