Progress towards the EU’s 2020 renewable energy targets

SUMMARY OF:

Renewable energy progress report — COM(2015) 293 final

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THIS REPORT DO?

It provides an assessment of the EU and its countries’ progress towards achieving the targets of 20 % of total energy consumption and 10 % of energy consumption in transport from renewable sources* by 2020. The report is in accordance with the 2009 renewable energy directive, which requires renewable energy progress reports every 2 years.

KEY POINTS

• This report states that as of 2014, the EU has a 15.3 % share of total energy consumption from renewable sources, which means that the EU as a whole is doing well in working towards the 20 % target.
• EU countries set their own renewable energy targets and their approach to meeting them. National action plans cover several components, such as:
  • individual renewable energy targets for the electricity, heating/cooling and transport sectors;
  • policy measures necessary to achieve national targets; and
  • the mix of renewable sources the EU country plans to use.
• Of the 28 EU countries (1), 25 are expected to meet their 2020 targets, with 19 of those 25 expected to exceed their targets.
• Progress towards achieving at least 10 % of energy consumption in the transport sector from renewable sources by 2020 has been slower, with a 2014 EU average of 5.7 %.
• EU countries set interim targets for every 2 years up until 2020. These targets will become more ambitious, so some EU countries may need to intensify their efforts or cooperate with other EU countries in order to achieve them.
• This report also confirms that the renewable energy directive is working well, having reduced CO₂ emissions and cut dependency on fossil fuels. The report also finds that the 2020 targets are a key driver for global investments in renewable energy.

BACKGROUND

The EU passed the first legislation on renewable energy in 2001 with Directive 2001/77/EC, which promoted electricity from renewable sources. That was followed by Directive 2003/30/EC, which laid down the legal basis for the use of biofuels and other renewable sources in transport. These directives paved the way for the renewable energy directive in 2009.

KEY TERMS

* Renewable sources refer to energy sources than cannot be depleted, such as wind power, solar power or sustainable biomass. According to 2014 projections, the top three renewable sources in the EU were biomass (47 %), hydropower (17 %) and wind power (11 %).

ACT

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Renewable energy progress report (COM(2015) 293 final, 15.6.2015)

RELATED ACTS

Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC (OJ L 140, 5.6.2009, pp. 16-62)

The successive amendments to Directive 2009/28/EC have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

last update 10.11.2015

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(1) The United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union and becomes a third country (non-EU country) as of 1 February 2020.