Spring European Council: 20% binding target for Renewables

European leaders met in Brussels on the 8th and 9th March for the Spring 2007 European Council and agreed on a legally binding objective of 20% share of renewable energy sources on EU’s energy needs by 2020.

Each member state will now have to decide on national targets for specific sectors (like electricity or heating and cooling). The EU27 will also have to agree on each one’s contribution to the overall 20% target, based on how technologically advanced it is and the specific potential it has. The Commission will propose a settlement mechanism in autumn to start this process.

The EU also consolidated its leadership on fighting climate and made a ‘firm independent commitment to achieve at least a 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020’. The 27 Member States agreed to go even further if other developed countries make comparable reductions.

Highlighting the fundamental role of energy efficiency for the EU’s economy, the heads of states and governments have also stressed the need to achieve the objective of saving 20% of the EU’s energy consumption compared to projections for 2020. They called upon the European Commission to rapidly submit proposals to scrap ordinary light bulbs within two years and to increase energy savings from office equipment and street lighting.

The Commission’s proposal to table a European Strategic Energy Technology Plan was welcomed, recognising the need to strengthen energy research, particularly to accelerate the competitiveness of sustainable energies, low carbon and efficient technologies.

A full implementation of the Internal Market legislation relating to the gas electricity markets was also urged, taking particular attention to an effective unbundling and to further harmonization of powers between national energy regulators. Member States also reaffirmed the need to improve regional cross-border exchange in order to achieve at least 10% of electricity and gas interconnection capacity by 2010.

The European Council requested the Commission to submit the proposals requested as speedily as possible, asking also for an updated Strategic Energy Review in early 2009, serving as a basis for the new Energy Action Plan from 2010 to be adopted by the Spring 2010 European Council.