Renewable Energy Directive

This afternoon, Greens/EFA shadow Ville Niinistö will participate in the scheduled final negotiations (“trilogue”) on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The trilogue will start at 16:00 and is scheduled with an open end.

The main divisive items on the table are the headline ambition target for renewable energy and the sustainability framework for bioenergy. The Council may also come up with a last-minute new proposal to include low-carbon energy into the renewable energy framework.

This trilogue concerns amendments to the 2018 Directive (“RED II”), specifically a first set of amendments (“RED III”) to the Fit for 55 Package and a second package (“RED IV” and “RED V”) to RePowerEU, the Commission’s plan for affordable, secure and sustainable energy for Europe, aiming to make the EU independent from Russian fossil fuels in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ville Niinistö, Greens/EFA shadow in the lead Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, comments:

“We have a lot to decide today in the trilogues with the Presidency. We need to show leadership on ambition in the headline target for renewables share of energy by 2030 and increase the environmental integrity of bioenergy provisions. Europe has to be led out of dependency on volatile fossil fuels that hold our economies back while investing into renewables that tackle the twin challenges of climate crisis and also biodiversity crisis. We need to have openness from the Council on these matters and the end results must be a strong signal in the fight against climate change”

Crucial points under discussion:

Raising 2030 EU target for renewable energy from 32 to 45 percent: The European Parliament and the Commission want to raise the current EU target of 32 percent renewable energies to 45 percent by the year 2030. The Council commits itself to 40 percent.

Low Carbon energy is not renewable energy: The French government - supported by Slovakia, Czechia, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovenia- is pushing for the treatment of low carbon and nuclear energy as equal to renewable energies, which is an instance of greenwashing opposed by the Greens/EFA and other parties in the European Parliament.

Sustainability bioenergy: The European Parliament defends the clear mandate on phasing-out any support to the use of biomass, bioliquids and biofuels that are the most harmful to our climate goals and biodiversity, including forest biomass used for bioenergy.

Greening transport and industry: The European Parliament clearly advocates for high binding targets of Renewable hydrogen and derived fuels (RFNBO) to promote the shift to renewable fuels in the transport and industry sectors.