Dear Minister,

Subject: 11 May 1999 - Energy Council Conclusions and orientation debate concerning Renewables.

 

I am writing to you in respect of your discussions at the 11 May EU Energy Council on matters related to renewable energy sources.

Greenpeace wishes to bring to your urgent attention a serious policy void that has emerged this year, in order to ensure an effective promotion and accelerated take-up of renewables in the EU. You are now in a position to guarantee definitely the future of EU renewables.

Greenpeace strongly believes that an EU Directive, with legally binding targets for each Member State, is essential to establish such a guarantee and to make an important first step to meet the EU’s climate change commitments. We share this view with the renewable energy industry and other major environmental groups.

The White Paper on renewable energy sources sets a target of 12% by 2010 for the contribution of renewable sources of energy (RES) to the European Union’s gross inland energy consumption. In its Resolution of 8 June 1998, the Council has agreed that there is a need to promote sustained and substantially increased RES throughout the Community and has welcomed the White Paper.

As you know the deregulation of the EU electricity markets has commenced, however many of the distortions, subsidies and access restrictions that act to the detriment of renewables are still very much in place. Many of the legal systems that provide access to renewables, such as solar and wind, are under threat because of a complete absence of safeguards within the current legislation. If existing access laws were to collapse due to deregulation it would devastate the European renewable industry of the future. We are sure you agree that this cannot be allowed to happen.

In that context, an EU Directive on electricity from renewables, based on the annexed principles and the rationale that underpin them, has to be adopted by the end of this year. This will clearly also represent an important decision as regards the integration of environment and in particular climate change into EU energy policy as called for by the European Council in Cardiff and Vienna. The Cologne and Helsinki Summits will then be in a position to deliver a strong statement making the promotion of renewables a top priority for EU energy policy.

We urge you to take up the issue with your European colleagues so that the positive measures outlined in the White Paper do not fail at this stage. This is of key importance both to ensure the EU meets its climate change commitments and that a major lead for European jobs and industry is accelerated and not undermined.

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you before the Energy Council meeting to discuss these and other matters regarding the Directive.

Yours faithfully,

Greenpeace