EWEA calls for mandatory renewables targets in EU
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has called on the European Commission to make national targets for renewable energy mandatory in the EU rather than "indicative" as at present. EWEA's push for a firmer line on targets follows a report by the Commission, the EU's executive, submitted to heads of government in the European Council of Ministers and to the European Parliament. The report reveals that most EU countries look set to fall short of their so-called indicative targets for the proportion of electricity consumption generated by renewable energy systems. The association points out that the EU Renewables Directive allows the Commission to make national targets mandatory if the overall European targets for renewables of 12% of energy consumption and 22% of electricity by 2010 look likely to be missed. "Targets in themselves do not guarantee a market. What matters are the policies member states implement," says EWEA's Christian Kjaer. "But targets are important catalysts for introducing those policies." Kjaer also wants to see the Commission set targets for 2020, as lobbied for by the parliament. This would signal long term commitment and increase the chances of the 2010 target being reached, he says.