Less haste, more speed: The European Parliament must support renewables *and* nature
December 12, 2022
This Wednesday, the European Parliament plenary will vote on changes to the Renewable Energy Directive. But the proposals seriously undermine environmental safeguards and set impossibly tight deadlines.
Accelerating the deployment of sustainable solar
December 5, 2022
This joint statement by BirdLife International Europe and Central Asia, CEE Bankwatch Network, Climate Action Network Europe, the European Environmental Bureau, EuroNatur and SolarPower Europe lays out priorities for the current EU discussions to ensur
Romanian decision-makers try to misuse REPowerEU funds for illegal hydropower plants
November 30, 2022
This briefing describes how Romania’s Parliament and Government are again pushing to legalise illegal hydropower projects in protected areas using new opportunities for funding under the REPowerEU chapter of the EU recovery fund. It shows how a new dra
Romanian decision-makers attempt misuse of REPowerEU funds for illegal hydropower plants
November 30, 2022
Romania’s Government plans to use funds allocated under the REPowerEU package to build nine hydropower projects in protected natural areas, Bankwatch Romania has warned the European Commission today.
REPowerEU is a chance to prioritise renovating buildings in Latvia
November 30, 2022
Energy consumed in the residential sector accounts for up to 30 per cent of Latvia’s energy usage. Approximately 23,000 multi-apartment buildings need to be renovated, but only 1,600 buildings have been insulated since 2009, a renovation rate of 0.5 per year. Will Latvia seize the chance and use REPowerEU chapters for renovation?
欧盟为可再生能源紧急开“绿灯”
November 28, 2022
… 欧盟为可再生能源紧急开“绿灯” …
Paved with good intentions: text of EU emergency regulation on renewables permitting agreed
November 25, 2022
In their poorly thought-out regulation on renewables permitting, the Commission and Council are abusing EU emergency powers to trash key environmental safeguards and unleash legal chaos.
Is Estonia doing enough to reach 100 per cent renewable electricity, and can it do even more with the help of REPowerEU?
November 21, 2022
On 12 October, Estonia’s parliament adopted a new renewable electricity target of 100 per cent by 2030. The strategic use of EU cohesion and recovery funds in Estonia will help reach that goal, and the additional EUR 83.4 million from REPowerEU has the potential to do even more.
Solar, wind industry worried about ‘daft’ EU permitting rules
November 18, 2022
New emergency permitting rules tabled by the European Commission just over a week ago would concern only “new” renewable energy projects …
Renewables automatically of ‘overriding public interest’ – a counterproductive attack on EU nature legislation
November 14, 2022
This briefing analyses the Commission’s proposal to declare renewables as automatically being of ‘overriding public interest’ in the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive under the REPowerEU legislative proposal. New rules would seriously undermin
