Council Resolution of 8 June 1998 on renewable sources of energy
Date: 1998-06-08
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU policy, action programme, competitiveness, environmental protection, renewable energy, security of supply

24.6.98

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Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

C  198/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL  RESOLUTION

of  8  June  1998

on  renewable  sources  of  energy

(98/C  198/01)

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION,

Having  regard  to  the  White  Paper  for  a  Community
strategy  and  action  plan 
future:
renewable  sources  of  energy’,

"Energy 

the 

for 

security  of  supply  and  the  preservation  of  finite
energy  resources,  and  to  economic  and  social  devel(cid:220)
opment 
to
employment  and  the  strengthening  of  the  economic
structure  of 
island
regions;

the  outermost, 

isolated  and 

generally, 

including 

relation 

in 

Having  regard  to  the  Council  resolution  of  27  June  1997
on  renewable  sources  of  energy(cid:216)(˛),  which,  among  other
things,  refers  to  the  ambitious  target  mentioned  in  the
Green  Paper  on  renewable  sources  of  energy  (hereinafter
"renewables’)  to  double  the  overall  share  of  renewables  in
the  Community  by  2010,

Having  regard  to  the  Kyoto  Protocol  to  the  United
Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change  as
well  as  to  Agenda  21  of  1992  concerning  a  Programme
of  Action  for  Sustainable  Development,

Having  regard  to  the  White  Paper  on  growth,  competi(cid:220)
tiveness  and  employment,

Having  regard  to  the  Altener  programme  and  to  the
discussions  concerning 
framework  pro(cid:220)
gramme  as  well  as  the  fifth  framework  programme  of  the
European  Community  for  research,  technological  devel(cid:220)
opment  and  demonstration  activities,

the  energy 

Having  regard  to  the  Commission’s  first  report  on  the
need  for  harmonisation  requirements  in  the  internal  elec(cid:220)
tricity  market,

1. AGREES  that  there  is  need  to  promote  a  sustained
and  substantially  increased  use  of  renewable  sources
of  energy  throughout  the  Community  in  the  light  of
the  valuable  contribution  renewables  can  make  to
environmental  protection  and  the  implementation  of
the  commitments  under  the  Kyoto  Protocol,  to

2. WELCOMES  the  general  thrust  of  the  White  Paper
on  a  Community  strategy  and  action  plan  as  a  basis
for  the  development  of  actions  at  Community  level
complementary  to  actions  at  national  level;

3. URGES  Member  States  to  continue  to  develop,  in
conformity  with  national  procedures,  national
for 
strategies  and 
the  promotion  of
structures 
to  bringing  about  a
renewables  with  a  view 
substantial 
renewables
throughout  the  Community;

the  use  of 

increase 

in 

4. CONSIDERS  that  the  White  Paper’s  indicative  target
of  12(cid:216)%  for  the  Community  as  a  whole  by  2010
increased  efforts  at
provides  useful  guidance  for 
Community 
in  Member  States,
level  as  well  as 
bearing  in  mind  the  need  to  reflect  differing  national
circumstances;

5. NOTES  that  an  objective  of  Community  and  national
strategies  should  be  to  pursue  the  development  of
renewables  in  a  cost(cid:220)effective  manner,  taking  into
account  their  full  benefits;

6. NOTES  that  the  liberalisation  of  Community  energy
markets  will  increase  competitive  pressures  on  all
sources  of  energy,  particularly  renewable  energy
sources,  but  also  create  opportunities  for  the  devel(cid:220)
opment  of  renewables;

(˛)(cid:217)OJ  C  210,  11.7.1997,  p.  1.

7. CONSIDERS  that  the  relative  costs  of  renewables
must  be  reduced  to  allow  them  to  compete  with

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Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

24.6.98

other  energy  sources  with  a  view  to  increasing  their
market  penetration  and  that  this  is  in  general  best
achieved  through  market(cid:220)based  instruments;

comply  with  Community  State  aid  guidelines  for
environmental  protection;

8. BELIEVES 

the 

that 

for  promotion  of
strategy 
renewables  should  focus  on  mature  technologies  in
order  to  make  these  technologies  fully  competitive  in
the  short  or  medium  term;

9. NOTES  that  support  should  be  given  to  research,
development  and  demonstration  in  relation  to  not
yet  mature  technologies  in  order  to  improve  the
overall  competitiveness  of  renewables  in  the  medium
and  long  term;

10. BELIEVES  that  the  development  of  Community(cid:220)wide
standards  and  certification  schemes  will  assist  the
market  penetration  of  renewables,  in  view  of  the
significant  actual  and  potential  market  for  environ(cid:220)
mentally(cid:220)friendly  energy 
industries  and
technologies;

sources, 

11. NOTES  that  Member  States  choose  the  most  appro(cid:220)
priate  means  of  promoting  use  of  renewables  from,
for  example,  the  following:

-(cid:217)programmes 

to  support  research  and  devel(cid:220)
opment,  demonstration  and  dissemination  of
renewables  technology,

-(cid:217)elimination  of  legal,  administrative  and  institu(cid:220)

tional  obstacles,

-(cid:217)fiscal  measures,

-(cid:217)subsidies,

-(cid:217)preferential  tariffs,

12. WELCOMES  the 

intention  of  the  Commission  to
consider  appropriate  modifications 
favour  of
renewable  energy  sources  during  the  revision  of  the
guidelines  for  Community  state  aid;

in 

13. RECOGNISES 

that  these  different  measures  may
have  an  effect  on  the  development  of  a  single  market
in  electricity,  especially  as  the  role  of  renewables
substantially,  and  TAKES  NOTE  with
increases 
interest  of  the  Commission’s  first  report  on  harmon(cid:220)
isation  requirements  in  the  framework  of  the  Elec(cid:220)
tricity  Directive;

14. CONFIRMS  the  Community  role  as  a  complement  to
national  measures,  following  the  principle  of  subsi(cid:220)
diarity,  and  that  action  at  Community  level  must  add
value  to  these  national  measures.  Efforts  should  be
made  to  ensure  that  Community  funding,  including
where  appropriate  from  the  structural  funds, 
is
devoted  to  renewable  energy  sources,  within  the
framework  of  the  specific  objectives  agreed  for  the
different  instruments;

15. STRESSES 

the 

important 

the  Altener
programme,  which  will  become  an  integral  part  of
the  Energy  Framework  Programme,  to  develop  and
promote  support  measures  at  Community  level;

role  of 

-(cid:217)levies  on  energy  consumption,  designed 

to

promote  sustainable  energy  systems,

16. BELIEVES  that  it  is  also  highly  desirable  to  build
renewables  into  other  Community  policies,  where  it
is  appropriate  to  do  so;

-(cid:217)green  certificates,

-(cid:217)voluntary  agreements  with  industry,

-(cid:217)purchase  obligations,

-(cid:217)long(cid:220)term 

purchase 

contracts 

and 

energy

contracting,

-(cid:217)removal  of  obstacles 

the  development  of
to 
renewables  in  applications  where  they  are  already
competitive,

which  are  best  suited  to  their  national  circumstances
and  are  in  conformity  with  Treaty  obligations  and

17. RECOGNISES 

that  other  Community  policies,
including  regional,  rural  development,  research  and
technology,  external  and  competition  and  State  aid
policies,  could  make  a  significant  contribution  to  the
promotion  of  renewables;

significant 

18. NOTES  in  this  context  the  important  role  expected
by  the  White  Paper  from  biomass  and  waste  in
making 
the  market
penetration  of  renewables  in  the  coming  years  and
full  account  must  be 
taken  of
BELIEVES 
renewables 
the  development  of  Community
policies  on  agriculture  and  waste  management;

advances 

that 
in 

in 

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19. RECOMMENDS  that  the  White  Paper  on  renewables
should  be  considered  by  the  Commission 
in  the
context  of  the  strategy  to  integrate  environmental
the  Community’s  policies  and
protection 
the  Cardiff
activities, 
European  Council;

into 
to  be  presented  before 

20. WELCOMES  the  idea  of  the  campaign  for  take(cid:220)off;

synergy 

25. ENCOURAGES  Member  States  to  cooperate  with  a
view  to  coordinating  policy  so  as  to  obtain  the
optimum 
and
measures,  to  be  complemented  by  Community  action
in  line  with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity.  In  this
context,  Member  States  and  the  Commission  should
regularly  exchange  information  on  progress  made  at
national  level;

from  national  policies 

21. AGREES  that  this  campaign  must  be  designed  to  help
investors  and  the

interest  among 

industry, 

raise 
public;

22. RECOGNISES  that  this  will  require  mobilisation  of
private  sector  as  well  as  public  sector  funds 
in
Member  States  and  the  Community;

23. INVITES  the  Commission  to  bring  forward  proposals
on  how  this  is  to  be  done,  in  particular  in  relation  to
financing;

the 

that 

existing 

for  development  of 

situation  and
24. RECOGNISES 
renewables  vary
potential 
considerably  between  Member  States  and  that  in  this
context  Member 
special
consideration 
the  best
to 
prospect  for  market  penetration;

sectors  offering 

States  will 

give 

the 

26. INVITES 

to 

the  Commission 

follow  progress,
including  review  of  the  working  of  the  liberalised
energy  markets  with  respect  to  renewables  and  the
development  of  renewables  in  other  policy  sectors,
and  to  make  a  progress  report  by  the  end  of  1999
and  thereafter  every  second  year,  including  if  appro(cid:220)
priate  a  revised  action  plan;

27. INVITES  the  Commission  to  consider  the  need  for
proposals  in  order  to  remove  obstacles  to  the  greater
use  of  renewables  and  to  the  trade  in  electricity
the
generated 
Commission  to  develop  indicators  on  the  competi(cid:220)
tiveness  of  renewables  in  order  to  measure  results  in
this  area;

renewables,  and 

INVITES 

from 

28. ENCOURAGES  the  Commission  to  keep  Member

States  informed  and  involved  in  this  process.