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BusinessEurope, the Confederation of European Business, has questioned the EU's target of achieving a 20% share of renewables in the EU's energy mix by 2020, as agreed during the European Council of 8-9 March. It considers the target unreachable and cites industry concerns about the security of energy supply.
In preparation for the 6-8 June Energy Council in Luxembourg, BusinessEurope sent an open letter to German Economics and Technology Minister Michael Glos, who is also current president of the EU Energy Council, requesting that a planned discussion on technical issues related to renewables be expanded to a "wider debate on the overall EU renewables strategy".
The letter calls for an impact assessment of the "real implications" of striving towards the 20% target "taking account that for companies, the security of supply is key and that nuclear energy is being partially phased out in certain countries". In addition to connecting the issue of security of supply with an increase in the share of renewables, the group also warns: "Promotion of renewable electricity should not create market distortions and result in changes in the availability or price of raw materials used by industries such as pulp and paper, chemicals and food industry."
Concerning the achievement of renewables targets for individual member states, BusinessEurope is in favor of "flexible" and "market-based" approaches, such as cross-border trading in renewable electricity.
In Autumn or Winter 2007, the Commission is due to propose framework legislation on achieving the renewable-energies target.
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