Renewable energy is taking centre stage in the European Commission’s Energy Union action plan and renewables will underpin each and every dimension of the Union, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Arias Cañete said at a high-level panel discussion in Brussels in March.

In his speech, the Commissioner highlighted the role that renewables would play in the decarbonisation of the European economy. Last October, the EU agreed on a binding target of reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030. However, Cañete stressed that good intentions would count for nothing without good policies and that good policies require proper implementation. With this in mind, the Commissioner said that he would come forward with a new renewable energy package in 2017 to ensure that 2030 targets are met in a cost-effective way.

In order for renewables to reach their full potential, the internal energy market will have to be designed in such a way that it is geared towards renewables. “Energy markets and grids have to be fit for renewables, not vice versa. Markets should be designed, or re-designed, to fully integrate renewables into the wider electricity market and remove any existing barriers,” the Commissioner said.

The Commissioner stressed that more investment in research and innovation would be needed to keep the EU competitive on the global stage. “40% of all patents for renewable technologies are owned by European companies. And staying world number one in this field will create the jobs and growth Europe needs in emerging areas, like offshore wind, ocean energy or advanced biofuels,” he said.

The need to make energy efficiency and renewables work together was also underlined as a key factor if targets are to be met. The Commissioner said that, although the Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Performance of Building Directive already contain important provisions to make use of renewables and energy savings measures in buildings, both pieces of legislation would be revisited to make these provisions even stronger.

Finally, the Commissioner underlined the key role that renewables would play in securing the EU’s energy supply. He said that renewable energy, particularly heating based on renewables instead of fossil fuels, would be key to reducing import dependence. “That’s why renewables will be prominent in the new heating and cooling strategy that I will propose later this year as part of the Energy Union Strategy. I believe that the Energy Union needs to be powered by consumers and citizens, as active participants in making it work,” he said.

The Commissioner said that, while these objectives might sound ambitious, the political will exists to achieve them. He stressed that the focus of the Juncker Investment Plan on energy, and in particular on renewable energy and energy efficiency, illustrates the Commission's commitment to supporting this transition.

For more information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-15-4615_en.htm