COUNCIL RESOLUTIONof 26 November 1986on a Community orientation to develop new and renewable energy sources(86/C 316/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having taken note of the Commission communication of 29 January 1986 on a Community orientation to develop new and renewable energy sources, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1) , Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2) , Having regard to the Council Resolution of 9 June 1980 concerning Community energy policy objectives for 1990 and convergence of the policies of the Member States (3) , and the Council Resolution of 16 September 1986 on new Community energy objectives for 1995 and the convergence of the policies of the Member States (4) , Whereas in the Council Resolution of 25 July 1983 on framework programmes for Community research, development and demonstration activities and a first framework programme for 1984 to 1987 (5) , the development of renewable energy sources is considered to be one of the research, development and demonstration objectives which will achieve the Community aim of improving the management of energy resources; Whereas the development of a Community energy strategy calls for a greater use of new and renewable energy sources insofar as their future prospects of economic viability are demonstrated and whereas greater exploitation of these sources will help achieve these objectives; . . Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 1972/83 (6) introduced a Community programme of financial support for demonstration projects in the field of alternative energy sources and whereas, following a favourable assessment of this programme, Regulation (EEC) No 3640/85 (7) provided for it to be continued from 1986 to 1989; Whereas the energy research and development programmes adopted by Decisions 75/510/EEC (8) and 79/785/EEC (9) have produced positive results and opened up promising prospects of achieving the objectives pursued; whereas a new programme for 1985 to 1988 was adopted by the Council on 12 March 1985; Whereas the measures now in progress to develop the use of new and renewable sources of energy offer a guarantee of increased energy supplies for the Community in the long term; Whereas Community and national research, development and demonstration programmes should gradually provide appropriate technologies to exploit new and renewable energy sources; Whereas, in addition to these programmes, although it should be remembered that new and renewable energy sources are often dependent on local conditions and the interest in their exploitation varies throughout the Community, new and renewable energy sources in the Member States must be adequately and harmoniously developed; Whereas a common orientation to develop new and renewable energy sources should therefore be adopted; . . 1. Takes note of the Commission communication to the Council on a Community orientation to develop new and renewable energy sources; 2. Agrees that a Community orientation to develop new and renewable energy sources must seek to: (a) optimize the exploitation of those sources in the Community, taking into account what is available in each Member State; (b) make its efforts as profitable as possible, avoiding, inter alia, duplication and enabling all potential exploiters at Community level to benefit from the experience acquired; (c) ensure cooperation at Community level with a view to the coherence, if necessary, of national legislative, financial and information measures; (d) prepare, if appropriate, measures at Community level, without prejudice to those already undertaken, designed to encourage the use of new and renewable energy sources; (e) facilitate industrial cooperation and the extension of markets; and requests the Member States to support the Commission in the implementation of the above guidelines. A major criterion governing the Community's promotion of, and involvement with, any particular source of new and renewable energy will be the ultimate prospects of economic viability for that source; 3. Agrees that Member States should engage in a tighter exchange of information on the development of the exploitation of new and renewable energy sources through concerted action and, if necessary, ensure coordination at Community level; 4. Calls upon the Commission to continue and develop its work under the demonstration programme and to examine the possibility of setting up a suitable system for collecting statistics on these sources; 5. Calls on the Member States to examine the need to set up agencies, in those Member States where there are none, to promote the use of new and renewable energy sources in order to advise contracting public authorities, local authorities and small and medium-sized businesses in the planning of feasibility studies and on the technical and financial aspects of implementing projects to exploit these sources; such agencies should also devote special attention to informing the public of the genuine possibilities for exploiting new and renewable energy sources; 6. Calls upon the Commission to report to it on a regular basis on the development of the exploitation of new and renewable energy sources in Member States and on the implementation of the orientation; 7. Requests the Commission to submit proposals to the Council as appropriate. (1) OJ No C 227, 8. 9. 1986, p. 28.

(2) OJ No C 207, 18. 8. 1986, p. 11 (3) OJ No C 149, 18. 6. 1980, p. 1.

(4) OJ No C 241, 25. 9. 1986, p. 1 (5) OJ No C 208, 4. 8. 1983, p. 1.

(6) OJ No L 195, 19. 7. 1983, p. 6.

(7) OJ No L 350, 27. 12. 1985, p. 29 (8) OJ No L 231, 2. 9. 1975, p. 1.

(9) OJ No L 231, 13. 9. 1979, p. 30