EU energy ministers have agreed their position on changes to the bloc’s renewable energy directive, including approving plans for faster permitting for wind farms and eyeing a renewables target of 40% by 2030.
They agreed their positions at an EU Council summit this week.
Some of their positions – namely the streamlined permitting processes – mirror measures proposed in the European Commission’s RepowerEU plan last month to reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian energy.
However, the ministers’ favoured 40% renewables target is five percentage points lower than the target proposed by the European Commission, though eight percentage points higher than the current target.
They also did not include proposals for so-called 'go-to areas' – areas on land or at sea that are deemed “particularly suitable” for renewable energy projects, and where renewable projects could normally go ahead without further environmental assessments.
These measures need to be approved by the European Parliament next month, before final negotiations between the Parliament and Council can begin this autumn.
.png)
.png)
