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COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION

of 9 June 1988

on developing the exploitation of renewable energy sources in the Community

(88/349/EEC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3),

Whereas, in its resolution of 16 September 1986 on new Community energy policy objectives for 1995 and the convergence of the policies of the Member States (4), the Council adopted the objective of continuing the development of new and renewable energy sources and of increasing their contribution to the total energy balance;

Whereas, in its resolution of 26 November 1986 on a Community orientation to develop new and renewable energy sources (5), the Council requested the Commission to present proposals to develop the exploitation of renewable energy sources in the Community;

Whereas these sources are indigenous and their exploitation has a favourable impact on the diversification, compatibility, in a number of cases, with the environment, on the security of the Community's energy supply and on the development of less-favoured regions;

Whereas, by its Regulation (EEC) No 3301/86 (6), the Council instituted a Community programme relating to the development of certain less-favoured regions of the Community by the exploitation of their indigenous energy potential (Valoren programme);

Whereas, among the priority actions with a claim to the European Social Fund, are professional training activities aimed directly at specific employment posts in enterprises of less than 500 personnel and linked to the application of new technologies which are the object of Community research and development programmes;

Whereas the development of renewable energy sources requires appropriate legislative, administrative and financial measures;

Whereas the optimum exploitation of these energy sources in the Community must be pursued taking account of their economic prospects and their availability in the Member States;

Whereas assessment of the profitability of these energy sources should take into account medium- and long-term economic prospects;

Whereas, at Community level, it must be ensured that the measures launched are mutually compatible and that the results and experience gained are widely disseminated, in an attempt to make the efforts to develop these sources profitable;

Whereas, with a view to completion of the internal market, cooperation among industries producing renewabled energy exploitation equipment must be facilitated, together with the extension of the markets;

Whereas renewable sources of energy may make a valuable contribution to the energy requirements of developing countries;

Whereas, in the present state of the technology, the sources offering the most practical development prospects in the short and medium term are solar, geothermal and wind energy, biomass and energy from waste and hydroelectricity, especially low power instalations;

Whereas the Commission plans to draw up sectoral proposals for each of these sources, which will include the principles governing the contractual relations between producers of electricity generated from renewable energy sources and public electricity suppliers;

Whereas the Commission will, where appropriate, submit common rules for certification, so that the resulting consistency will enable such certification by one Member State to be acceptable throughout the Community and hence promote the free movement of equipment for the exploitation of renewable energy sources,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS MEMBER STATES:

1. to introduce, where appropriate and necessary, legislation and/or administrative procedures which would help to overcome, on a non-discriminatory basis, obstacles to the exploitation of renewable energy sources;

2. to pursue, in particular through the continuation of present efforts, research and demonstration programmes at Community and Member State levels, and periodically assess them from the technico-economic point of view, in relation to market potential, adapting them accordingly;

3. to pay particular attention to the development of renewable energy sources and to energy saving, in coordination with the corresponding European Regional Developmednt Fund programmes, in particular to the Valoren programme, and the European Social Fund;

4. to complete national inventories of renewable energy resources and disseminate these inventories as widely as possibler at regional and local level;

5. to promote cooperation among industries producing equipment for the exploitation of renewable energy sources and promote the transfer of technology and cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises to facilitate their adjustment to potential demand;

6. with a view to expanding the scope of the internal market, to recall their obligations laid down by Council Directive 83/189/EEC of 28 March 1983 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations (1) in respect of draft standards and technical rules for the exploitation of renewable energy equipment;

7. to encourage contractual terms governing supplies to the distribution companies of electricity generated by private producers from renewable energy sources which are such as to facilitate, on a non-discriminatory basis, the economic exploitation of these sources and to ensure that these terms are complied with;

8. to consider measures for financial or other support towards feasibility studies for projects to exploit renewable energy sources, whenever appropriate, in particular for local authorities and small and medium-sized enterprises;

9. to ensure that in public investment the possibility of using renewable energy and energy-saving measures is taken into account;

10. to consider the prospects of the eventual economic viability in promoting a given type of renewable energy;

11. to consider, in accordance with its resolution of 26 November 1986, in Member States where they do not yet exist, advisory bodies to prepare, or facilitate the preparation of, feasibility studies and for assembling technical and financial packages for projects to exploit renewable energy sources; such bodies should also lay particular emphasis on informing the public of the practical possibilities of exploiting these sources and of the environmental aspects;

12. to facilitate the exchange of information concerning the development of renewable energy sources between Member States and at Community level, in particular by agreements for access to national data bases; to assist the Commisison in fully completing the Sesame Community data base on projects carried out under national and Community programmes;

13. to consider the preparation and launch of a statistical survey system for renewable energy sources in collaboration with the Statistical Office of the European Communities;

14. to communicate regularly to the Commission details of the measures taken or planned in the field covered by this recommendation and the effects obtained or expected from these measures; in particular, the Member States are invited to inform the Commission at regular intervals of the progress achieved in eliminating administrative and legal barriers to the introduction of new and renewable energy sources. In this context, the Commission will propose or take the most appropriate measures for the coordination of the Member States' initiatives and will from time to time, on its own initiative or at the request of a Member State, arrange meetings for the exchange of information at Community level in order to ensure that the measures are mutually compatible.

Done at Luxembourg, 9 June 1988.

For the Council

The President

M. BANGEMANN

(1) OJ No C 279, 17. 10. 1987, p. 6.

(2) OJ No C 167, 27. 6. 1988.

(3) OJ No C 80, 28. 3. 1988, p. 5.

(4) OJ No C 241, 25. 9. 1986, p. 1.

(5) OJ No C 316, 1. 12. 1986, p. 1.

(6) OJ No L 305, 31. 10. 1986, p. 6.

(1) OJ No L 109, 26. 4. 1983, p. 8.