The EU Council has adopted a target that by 2030, 40% of the energy consumed by the block will be generated from renewable energy sources.
The two directives on which the Council took positions today, June 27, are the Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive.
Energy production currently accounts for 75% of emissions in the EU. The Council agreed to set a binding target at the EU level: by 2030, the share of energy from renewable sources in the total energy mix should be 40%. The current target at the EU level is 32%.
Suppose the 40% target is set and agreed at the level of the European Parliament. In that case, the EU states will have to increase their national contributions, set out in their comprehensive national energy and climate plans, which in any case should be updated in 2023 and 2024.
The Council also set a mandatory sub-target for “advanced” biofuels in the share of renewable energy supplies to the transport sector at 0.2% in 2022, 1% in 2025 and 4.4% in 2030.
The EU council’s official position also strengthens biomass sustainability criteria to reduce the risk of “unsustainable bioenergy production” and adds measures to curb biofuel durability fraud.
In addition, a recommendation was also made to speed up permitting procedures for renewable energy projects, in line with the priorities of the new RepowerEU plan proposed last month.
This recommendation was noted as essential for accelerating the deployment of renewable energy in the context of the EU’s plan to become independent from Russian fossil fuels.