BRUSSELS - The European Union is to consider setting higher targets for the use of renewable energies and biofuels by 2015 at a summit next week, a draft statement obtained by Reuters showed on Wednesday.
The draft said the European Commission should study raising the share of renewables to 15 percent of energy generated in the 25-nation EU from a target of 12 percent by 2010 and increasing the proportion of biofuels used in transport to 8 percent by 2015 from a target of 5.75 percent by 2010.
EU leaders are due to debate a common energy policy at a summit in Brussels on March 23-24.
EU countries are already finding it hard to meet the targets they set themselves for 2010 and the Commission, the EU's executive arm, is looking for ways to help member states meet those goals, notably through a Biomass Action Plan.
That uncertainty was reflected in the wording in the draft, which called for "producing a Commission analysis of how to achieve the existing targets (2010) of renewables and how to further promote renewable energies (road map) considering to raise their share to 15 percent by 2015."
It also called for maximum support for research and development of a second generation of biofuels, which are derived from crops.
Environmental campaigners are pushing for more ambitious and strict targets for renewable energy sources to cut down on the EU's dependence on fossil fuels, which pollute and are blamed for climate change.
An EU diplomat said the proposed new targets appeared to have been included by the Austrian EU presidency without widespread discussion with member states and it was not certain they would be included in the eventual summit statement.
"Whether they survive is is another matter," he said.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
