Brussels 10/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - On 19 May, the European Commission is expected to publish a Communication on renewable energy in the EU, making a quite negative assessment of the proportion of total energy supply in the EU coming from renewable sources. If the situation continues as at present, the EU will not be able to meet the target it set itself in 1997 of renewable energy supplying 12% of total energy in 2010.
In line with Directive 2001/77/EC, EU Member States must set national targets for promoting energy from renewable sources in order to meet the EU's targets. The Communication will point out, however, that they have failed to establish policies ambitious enough to meet the targets, although this varies from one country to another (Germany, Denmark, Spain and Finland meeting requirements, with Greece and Portugal lagging behind). The net result is that if nothing changes, the proportion of energy produced at EU level from renewable sources will total around 18 or 19% by 2010, rather than 22.1% as planned, while the share of renewable energy in the EU's total energy consumption will only total 8 or 10% at most, rather than the 12% target.
The Communication will urge Member States to offer suitable levels of financial support for renewable energy (through tax exemptions). It will outline the idea of creating a new EU financial instrument (in the 2007-2013 Financial Perspectives) to fund R&D into new renewable energy technology and energy saving. The Communication will point out that other measures will be required at regional and local levels to remove non-technological obstacles to clean energy. The Communication is expected to urge prudence, ahead of the June 2004 Bonn Conference on renewable energy, urging Member States to commit to pledge to meet the 2010 targets before committing themselves to more ambitious targets for 2020.