EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/746

(2004/C 84 E/0841)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4055/03

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 January 2004)

Subject: Renewable energy

What proportion of the overall TEN-Ε budget goes to renewable energies, and how much of this goes to Scotland in line with project 350 in Annex III of Decision No 1229/2003/EC (1) of the European Parliament and Council of 26 June 2003 laying down a series of guidelines for trans-European energy networks and repealing Decision No 1254/96/EC (2)?

Which Member States are the worst and best performers in terms of developing renewable energy? What proportion of EU energy output ought ideally to come from renewables in order to meet the Kyoto targets, and what proportion of that output could potentially come from Scotland in particular? Can such statistics be broken down into different sources of renewable energy?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(16 February 2004)

Before June 2003, only one project relating to the connection of wind power to the electricity transmission grid had been identified under the Guidelines for trans-European energy networks (TEN-Energy). This project, which concerned the strenthening and development of connections in the North-East and the West of Spain, was supported under the TEN programme (with a financial support of EUR 0,2 million decided by the Commission in 1999).

With the June 2003 revision of the TEN-Energy Guidelines, several similar projects, including one concerning similar connections in Scotland and England, have been identified and are now eligible to TEN financial support. These projects may benefit from TEN financial support provided that a related application is submitted to the Commission and that such application is evaluated favorably and selected, following the annual TEN financial support procedure. The application form for 2004 will be circulated in the coming weeks by the Commission.

In order to support market development and to trigger the transition towards a ‘sustainable and green Europe’ in terms of energy, the Union has set itself ambitious targets:

— An overall target of increasing the share of renewable energy in the total gross inland consumption from 6 % (late nineties) to 12 % in 2010.

— A target of 22 % of electricity consumption in 2010 to be generated by renewable energy, adopted in 2003 including national targets.

— A specific target of 5,75 % of consumption of motor vehicle fuel in 2010 to be of biomass origin, adopted in 2002 with an obligation by Member States to set individual targets in 2004 for their gradual phasing in bio-fuels towards 2010.

The Commission will present to the Council and to the Parliament a complete report on the situation in the different Member States as far as green electricity is concerned, before summer 2004.

This penetration of renewable energies, requiring additional and reinforced policy action, could contribute to an annual saving of about 190 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (C02) by 2010 (compared to the trend rate of increase in renewable energy, 1995-2000), around half of what is needed to fulfil the Kyoto target.

There is an important potential for renewable energy sources in the heating sector, especially in the biomass area and a lack of a quantified target in this sector for Scotland. Electricity produced from renewable energy sources, mainly hydro, now make up around 13 % of supply in Scotland and the Scottish Executive has set up a target of 18 % by 2010 under the framework of the ‘Renewables Obligation Order’. The Executive is currently considering a target of 40 % of electricity production from renewables for 2020.

(1) OJ L 176, 15.7.2003, p. 11.

(2) OJ L 161, 29.6.1996, p. 147.