No C 279/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 17.10.87 
Proposal for a Council recommendation to the Member States on developing the exploitation of 
renewable energy sources in the Community 
COM(87) 432 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 30 September 1987) 
(87/C 279/07) 
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, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
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 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 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 effect for the diversification 
and security of the Community's energy supply and for 
the development of less favoured regions; 
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 at Community level the efforts to develop these 
sources must be made profitable, the measures launched 
must be mutually compatible and the results and 
experience gained must be widely disseminated; 
Whereas, with a view to completion of the internal 
market, cooperation among industries producing 
renewable energy exploitation equipment must be fa­
cilitated, together with the extension of the markets; 
O OJNoC 241, 25. 9. 1986. 
(2) OJNoC316, 1. 12. 1986. 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 
installations; 
Whereas the Commission plans to draw up sectoral 
proposals for covering each of these sources at a later 
date, which will include the principles governing the 
contractual relations between producers of electricity 
generated from renewable energy sources and public 
electricity suppliers, 
HEREBY RECOMMENDS MEMBER STATES: 
1. to introduce legislation and administrative pro­
cedures, or adapt existing provisions, in the manner 
needed to overcome the obstacles to developing the 
exploitation of renewable energy sources; 
2. to pursue, including the continuation of present 
efforts, research and demonstration programmes, 
and periodically assess and adapt them in the light of 
technological developments; 
3. to complete national inventories of renewable energy 
resources and disseminate these inventories as widely 
as possible at regional and local level; 
4. to promote cooperation among industries producing 
equipment for the exploitation of renewable energy 
sources; 
5. with a view to the completion of the internal market, 
to comply with the information procedures laid 
down by Directive 83/189/EEC (J) in respect of 
draft standards and technical rules for renewable 
energy exploitation equipment. On the basis of these 
procedures, the Commission will examine the 
question of whether to propose common rules for 
the certification of equipment for the exploitation of 
renewable energy sources should there be any 
obstacles to their free movement in the Community; 
6. to ensure that the contractual terms governing 
supplies to the distribution companies of electricity 
generated by private producers from renewable 
energy sources are such as to encourage the 
exploitation of those sources; 
(3) 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. 
17.10.87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 279/7 
7. to provide for measures for financial support 
towards feasibility studies for projects to exploit 
renewable energy sources, in particular for local 
authorities and small and medium-sized enterprises; 
8. to establish, in accordance with its resolution of 26 
November 1986, in Member States where they do 
not yet exist, public advisory bodies to prepare 
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 about 
the practical possibilities of exploiting these sources 
and about the environmental aspects; 
9. 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 Commission in fully completing 
the Community data base SESAME on projects 
carried out under national and Community 
programmes; 
10. to devise and launch a statistical survey system for 
renewable energy sources in collaboration with the 
Statistical Office of the European Communities; 
11. to communicate regularly to the Commission the 
measures taken or planned in the field covered by 
this recommendation and the effects obtained or 
expected from these measures; in this context the 
Commission will from time to time, on its own 
initiative or at the request of a Member State, 
organize meetings for the exchange of information 
at Community level in order to ensure that the 
measures are mutually compatible.