The European Geothermal Energy Council gives a tepid welcome to the EU Commission’s proposals for the revision of the EU energy framework.
The European Commission unveiled the “Clean Energy Package” including, amongst other things, the revision of the directives on Renewable Energy (2009/28/EC), the Energy Performance of Buildings (2010/31/EU), Energy Efficiency (2012/27/EU), and the design of the electricity market.
The package is by no means a great leap forward. It lacks ambition and deals serious blows to renewable power, by withdrawing measures such as priority dispatch. Moreover, the current proposal suppresses the EU-wide definition of “geothermal”, which is a negative step backwards for the European market in
geothermal-related equipment and services.
The Commission states a strong support to increasing the share of renewables in the building and the heating and cooling sectors; yet it shies away from binding measures for faster development. Even worse, loopholes under energy efficiency legislation still allow support to new fossil-based heating equipment.
EGEC therefore urges the European Parliament and the Council to build on this package to put the European Union back on track towards its commitment to becoming the world number one in renewable energy.
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