European Commission to accept defeat on 12

European Commission to accept defeat on 12% renewables target

London (Platts)--17May2004


The European Commission is expected to publish this week its Communication on
The EU's Renewable Energy Targets. An early draft of the document seen by
Platts shows that the Commission believes member states will fall short of the
EU goal of sourcing 12% of all energy from renewable energy sources by 2010.

The EU had set this goal in 1997 when it said it aimed to double the share of
renewables in the EU energy mix from 6% to 12%. The Commission now estimates
that the EU15 (not the 10 accession states) are on course to achieve a 10%
renewables share. "The shortfall compared to the 12% target is caused by
sluggish growth of renewable energy markets for heating and cooling, leading
to the conclusion that considerable extra action is needed in this sector to
enable the full 12% target to be reached," the draft communication says.

Of the 15 long-standing EU members, Greece and Portugal are "not on track," it
says. Denmark, Germany, Spain and Finland are "on track" to meet their
renewables targets and the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Ireland
and France are "about to be on track."

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