This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Progress towards the EU’s 2020 renewable energy targets
SUMMARY OF:
Renewable energy progress report — COM(2015) 293 final
SUMMARY
WHAT DOES THIS REPORT DO?
It provides an assessment of the EU and its countries’ progress towards achieving the targets of 20 % of total energy consumption and 10 % of energy consumption in transport from renewable sources* by 2020. The report is in accordance with the 2009 renewable energy directive, which requires renewable energy progress reports every 2 years.
KEY POINTS
BACKGROUND
The EU passed the first legislation on renewable energy in 2001 with Directive 2001/77/EC, which promoted electricity from renewable sources. That was followed by Directive 2003/30/EC, which laid down the legal basis for the use of biofuels and other renewable sources in transport. These directives paved the way for the renewable energy directive in 2009.
KEY TERMS
* Renewable sources refer to energy sources than cannot be depleted, such as wind power, solar power or sustainable biomass. According to 2014 projections, the top three renewable sources in the EU were biomass (47 %), hydropower (17 %) and wind power (11 %).
ACT
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Renewable energy progress report (COM(2015) 293 final, 15.6.2015)
RELATED ACTS
Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC (OJ L 140, 5.6.2009, pp. 16-62)
The successive amendments to Directive 2009/28/EC have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
last update 10.11.2015
(1) The United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union and becomes a third country (non-EU country) as of 1 February 2020.