Published Friday, October 12, 2007 at 10:55
by
Editor
(1553 views and 3 comments)
The EU has agreed to a very ambitious, binding EU-wide target of 20 percent of their energy needs from renewable sources, for example wind and solar power, by 2020. Now Member States are confronted with the issue of setting national targets to achieve the EU goals.
In December the European Commission will make new proposals for better coordinate the efforts of Member States to introduce renewable energy. Burden sharing seems to be the keyword in current approaches where countries such as Denmark, which already meet a 9 percent figure, will contribute more while others with little potential like the Czech Republic will contribute less. Differing climatic and geographical conditions across the EU mean that some states will have difficulties meeting the targets. The different national situations will be taken into account in future decisions.
The EU is already behind and will probably not meet the 2010 target of 12 percent. Italy has recently stated that it will be unable to produce more than 15 procent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Other countries push for more flexible ways of reaching the targets, including the use of nuclear power.
Being ambitious is often essential for success, but has the EU gone too far this time? It is expensive for industries and national economies to change energy habits – so is it actually fair that some countries will have to contribute more than others? Or should every Member State be obliged to achieving the 20 percent target?
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Comments
1. Is the PES by Migeru on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 12:31
going to spank Gordon Brown for rolling back Blair's renewable energy targets, or is the PES going to join Brown in rejecting the EU's renewable energy policy? With "socialists" like Brown, who needs the neoliberals?2. Come on Migeru! by Julian from Schaerbeek on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 17:34
I dont know what Brown is doing on renewable energy targets (is he rolling them back? What are his reasons if he really is doing so?) but it is Migeru who deserves a spank for his/her comment "With "socialists" like Brown, who needs the neoliberals?" Brown and Blair have a good social democratic record when it comes to investing in health and education, creating jobs, improving childcare, combatting child poverty, introducing civil partnerships, raising the profile of the debate on climate change and Africa etc etc. They have managed to keep a genuinely social democratic party in Government for the last 10 years (keeping out a very anti-European and rather neo-liberal conservative party out of power) - which is more than can be said for many Euroepan social democratic and socialist parties that see themselves as more left-wing. So let's debate renewable energy - or to what extent the way Labour has modernised Britain is relevant for the rest of Europe - but let's lay off calling Brown a neoliberal when he is not.3. Leaked papers by editor on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 18:19
Considering how governments work, the “leaked papers” sound, from what the Guardian writes, like a contribution to an ongoing decision-making process. Whether this will be official government policy one day or not: it is difficult to know. Governments produce loads of papers before deciding. Remember the election that never was? So, we need to stick to what we know: The British government supported the binding EU targets for renewable energy in March and this is what the PES supports.To be able to post comments you need to be logged in. No account yet? Register here! Lost your password?