Legislation: COM(97) 599 final: White Paper: Energy for the future - renewable sources of energy

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Also see:

COM(2001)69(01) Communication from the Commission on the implementation of the Community Strategy and Action Plan on Renewable Energy Sources (1998 - 2000)

Slide Presentation European Union strategy and instruments for promoting Renewable Energy sources (580 KB PDF)

Energy for the future: Renewable sources of energy

Introduction
This information is based on the Communication from the Commission of 26/11/97, a White Paper for a Community Strategy and Action Plan, concerning the future of Renewable Energy in the European Union. It follows on from a previous white paper covering all forms of energy, published in 1996, that presented the Commission's views on how energy policy at Community level should develop. Policy guidelines cover competitiveness, environmental protection, security of supply, external energy relations and include the promotion of energy efficiency and renewables. This has been endorsed by the Member States, and as a result the Commission adopted a Council Decision establishing a framework for cooperation between the Community and Member States around agreed common energy objectives. In their general report of 1997, the EC gives their Priority activities and objectives in relation to energy with an emphasis on the three major objectives identified as having priority in its 1995 energy policy White Paper. These are:

• security of supply
• improving the competitiveness of European businesses
• taking environmental aspects into account, with an emphasis on the 'energy dimension of climate change'.

The conclusion of the Energy White Paper describes the policy relating to renewables as follows:

"The Community will make every effort to realise the potential of renewables by supporting research projects, by stimulating cooperation in the development and the dissemination of new and competitive technologies, by introducing appropriate standards for the various equipment and by establishing a Community framework for national fiscal and other incentives in order to translate technological advances into marketable products. However, in the present energy market situation, these actions will only change substantially the contribution of renewables to security of supply, due to the size of the investments needed, if both national and Community authorities adopt policies that are able to mobilise effectively significant resources. There is a need, therefore, to exploit the opportunities offered in the Community's RTD programmes and future ALTENER 2 programme, and to focus on technologies where cost reductions can be substantial and where improvements in energy conversion devices can easily be secured by dissemination of technology in the market place and in the developing world".

It is this consideration of climate change, brought about by carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, and the possible reductions that can be brought about by use of renewable sources of energy, that forms the basis for the renewable energy white paper.

The Renewable Energy White Paper

In summary the White Paper:
defines a strategy and action plan to promote the market penetration of renewable energy sources, with a target of doubling their use by 2010 (from 6% of total consumption in 1996 to 12% in 2010). The measures proposed in the action plan includes the organisation of a campaign for the take-off of renewables. The investment needed to implement the strategy and action plan over the period is estimated at 951000 million ecu, with benefits in savings in oil imports, technical development, job creation and carbon dioxide avoidance.

The paper reviews the background to RE in Europe and summarises the debate arising from the previous Green Paper and then sets a series of strategic goals. These are expanded in an annex that considers the estimated contribution, sector by sector, (biomass, hydropower, wind energy, solar thermal, photovoltaics, passive solar, geothermal and heat pumps). It then considers how the overall objectives may be achieved, with estimated contributions for heat and electricity, including assessment of the costs and benefits. The plans and actions being carried out by Member States are reviewed and the share of RES in their current energy budgets estimated, as are the projected contributions and consumption of RES in the year 2010. This is accompanied by estimates of the investment costs and benefits, of the overall strategy as well as by sector.

The paper lists a number of targets, or key actions. These include the establishment of 10,000 MW of biomass installations and the integration of RE in 100 communities. To achieve this the paper outlines procedures for implementation of the objectives and monitoring of the success. A need is seen to improve coordination of programmes and policies under the responsibilities of the Community and the Member States as well as for developing a unified acceptable system of statistics based on the substitution principle.

The Commission, in the framework of the ALTENER 2 programme and in cooperation with the Statistical Office and the JRC will create a monitoring scheme which can register all Community support given to renewables as well as the action undertaken at national level and progress made in terms of renewables penetration in different sectors. A major added value of a Community Strategy is seen in the proposed integration of the promotion of RES in several policy areas. In order to ensure the effective follow-up and implementation of this aspect within the Commission, the internal coordination will be strengthened to deal with all policy aspects of renewable energy integration in the Community's policies and areas of responsibility.

A working group involving Commission and Member States representatives will be established in order to monitor the measures undertaken and evaluate the impact of energy policy decisions at all levels with regard to the use of renewable energy sources. Member States need to adopt national goals and strategies, and these will be compared alongside European wide action discussed and to be put into effect. The Member States, as part of their contribution to this process, will be asked to report to the working group the feasible contribution they can realistically make to the 2010 target, including how they intend to promote renewables sector by sector.

The Community Strategy presented above is the basic framework for action for achieving the indicative objective of 12% penetration of renewables by 2010. In order to implement the Strategy, concrete measures are proposed in an Action Plan that sets out the individual actions by categories, and indicates the form of each action. Actions are attributed to the EU, Member States or both, depending on the nature of the action and in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.

Action Plan

To find similar reports, click on a keyword below:
Biogas : Biomass & Bioenergy : DA - Dansk : DE - Deutsch : ES - Español : FI - Suomi : FR - Français : Geothermal Energy : Hydropower : IT - Italiano : Liquid Biofuels : NL - Nederlands : PT - Português : Photovoltaics : Regulatory framework : Renewable Energy Sources & Systems : SV - Svenska : Solar Thermal : Solid Biofuels : Wave Power : Wind Energy

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