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BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 12, 2006 (Refocus
Weekly)
The European Commission has launched legal
proceedings against eight countries for failing to introduce
legislation to support green power.
A directive approved by the continental Parliament and Council in
2001 obligated all member states to take measures to transpose EU
legislation into national law before October 2003.
It sets a target of 21% for the share of electricity from renewables
in total European electricity consumption by 2010. The current share
in Europe is 14%, and each country is required to set national
targets and to put in place the appropriate measures to achieve the
European target.
Eight member states are not in compliance with the legislation and
the EC has launched legal proceedings against them for failing to
meet the deadline. “The increase in the use of renewable energy
figures as a top priority in the Commission’s recently published
Green Paper on a European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive &
Secure Energy,” it explains.
“Europe should make full use of the potential offered by renewable
energy sources,” says energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs. “This aim
will only be realized through a long-term commitment to develop and
install renewable energy and through the active involvement of all
member states to promote the use of green energies.”
The eight countries are Britain, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia and Poland. Four of the states (Italy,
Poland, Czech Republic, UK) have failed to report their progress on
the use of green power, while five (Italy, Latvia, Cyprus, Greece,
Ireland) have taken insufficient measures to enable an adequate
promotion of renewable energies.
The directive requires member states to implement legislation,
administrative provisions and measures (including fair access to the
power grid and a guarantee of origin) to enhance the use of
renewable electricity.
The EC has initiated the first stage of the infringement procedure
with a letter of formal notice to the eight countries, which can
submit their observations within two months. If they fail to do
that, the EC may start the second stage of the procedure by sending
a reasoned opinion and possibly take them to the European Court of
Justice.
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