WRITTEN QUESTION P-3212/00

by Hans Kronberger (NI) to the Commission

(10 October 2000)

Subject: Take-off campaign on renewable energy

The Commission has issued a Take-off Campaign to accompany its White Paper entitled Energy for the Future: Renewable Sources of Energy.

What measures have been taken to implement this take-off campaign?

What progress has been made in putting the take-off campaign into practice?

Is there any ongoing supervision of its implementation?

Has a system been devised and applied for monitoring implementation of the campaign?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(20 November 2000)

The Commission's white paper on Energy for the future: renewable sources of energy(1) included an outline for a campaign for take-off, aiming to promote and accelerate the implementation of large projects in the different renewable energy sources (RES) sectors, as well as to send clear signals for the greater use of RES.

The campaign will run from 2000 to 2003 and is focussed on quantitative objectives in different key sectors of RES. It also seeks to identify 100 communities aiming at 100 % of RES supply. The key sector objectives of the campaign to be reached by 2003 were set at between 15 % and 25 % of the overall white paper objectives for 2010. The intermediate objectives for 2003 will provide a good short or medium term picture of the progress made.

As for the objectives of the campaign, the Commision can confirm that the wind objective has already been achieved; that solar applications (both photovoltaic and thermal) are peaking in some areas with appropriate regulatory and promotional measures, mainly at regional and local level; while the biomass objectives, which need a specific survey in order to complete statistical data, have to be closely monitored. Biogas is clearly increasing. In space heating, biomass has to compete with natural gas, while in transport, biofuels have to compete with conventional fossil fuels. In the context of agricultural policy, the production of raw materials to produce energy is very well possible, also by allowing such production on land set-aside. The success of biofuels will depend on specific legislation as regards their use and fiscal treatment. Finally the specific objective of 100 communities

aimed at 100 % of RES supply will definitely be reached in 2003. Renewable energy partnerships, signed with such communities, are progressing rapidly and more than 100 potential candidates have been identified.

For monitoring progress in the development of renewable energy the Commission has established a system based on Eurostat official statistics, data from the industry, manufacturers and their associations, the TERES model (The European renewable energy study) used for calculating the objectives of the white paper and the campaign, and a regular survey on Member States programmes and policy.

Actions under the campaign for take-off, including the renewable energy partnership applications submitted according to Community programmes, are evaluated under general rules for financial Community support. The Commission is preparing a report on the implementation of the white paper and the campaign for take-off that will be communicated to the Parliament by the end of the year.

(1) COM(97) 599 final.