Renewable energy

SUMMARY OF:

Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It establishes a common system to promote energy from renewable sources* across the different sectors. In particular, it:
- sets a binding European Union (EU) target for its share in the energy mix in 2030;
- regulates self-consumption for the first time; and
- establishes a common set of rules for the use of renewables in electricity, heating and cooling, and transport in the EU.
It aims to increase the use of energy from renewable sources to combat climate change, protect the environment and reduce EU energy dependency, and to contribute to the EU’s technological and industrial leadership and the creation of jobs and growth, including in rural and isolated areas.

KEY POINTS

Renewable energy

Promoting renewable forms of energy is one of the goals of EU energy policy.
The increased use of energy from renewable sources is an important part of the package of measures needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to comply with the 2015 Paris Agreement and the EU policy framework for climate and energy (2020 to 2030).
The clean energy for all Europeans package sets out comprehensive EU rules on renewable energy, energy efficiency and governance.

2023 amendments

The EU has updated its energy rules as part of the European Green Deal and its ‘fit for 55’ package, which aim to ensure that those rules are aligned with its 2050 climate neutrality objective and with its objective of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
These rules have also been amended to implement the REPowerEU plan, which aims to reduce EU dependence on Russian oil and gas.
The directive has been amended by Directive (EU) 2023/2413.

The directive includes:

rules for cost-effective and market-based financial support for electricity from renewable sources;
protection of support schemes from modifications that put existing projects at risk;
cooperation mechanisms between EU Member States, and between Member States and non-EU countries;
rules helping electric vehicles and batteries provide flexibility to our energy system by feeding renewable electricity into the grid when needed;
rules allowing consumers to produce their own electricity, individually or as part of renewable energy communities, without undue restrictions;
accelerated permit procedures for renewable energy projects;
strengthened requirements for supporting and using biomass for energy, to reduce the risk of unsustainable bioenergy production.

Targets

A binding overall target of 42.5% by 2030 for the share of renewables in the EU’s overall energy consumption, with an additional 2.5% indicative top-up for achieving a target of 45%.
For the transport sector, Member States can choose between:
- a binding target of a 14.5% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity in transport from the use of renewables by 2030; or
- a binding share of at least 29% of renewables within the final consumption of energy in the transport sector by 2030.
For the industrial sector:
- an indicative annual average increase in the use of renewable energy of 1.6%;
- 42% of the hydrogen used in industry to come from renewable fuels of non-biological origin by 2030 and 60% by 2035.
For the building sector and the heating and cooling sector:
- an indicative target of at least a 49% renewable energy share in buildings in 2030;
- a gradual increase in renewable targets for heating and cooling of 0.8% per year at the national level until 2026 and 1.1% from 2026 to 2030.

Delegated acts and implementing acts

Several delegated and implementing acts have been adopted by the European Commission.
Among these, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2003 establishes the EU’s renewables development platform, which aims to support Member States interested in renewable energy cooperation mechanisms and, in particular, statistical transfers.

FROM WHEN DO THE RULES APPLY?

Directive (EU) 2018/2001 had to be transposed into national law by 30 June 2021.
Most of the rules introduced by amending Directive (EU) 2023/2413 have to be transposed by 21 May 2025, although most of those regarding the permit-granting procedures have to be transposed by 1 July 2024.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

Renewable energy (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

Energy from renewable sources. Energy from renewable non-fossil sources, such as wind, solar (thermal and photovoltaic), aerothermal, geothermal, hydrothermal, ambient heat, tide, wave and other ocean energy, hydropower, biomass, landfill gas, sewage treatment plant gas and biogases.

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast) (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, pp. 82–209).

Successive amendments to Directive (EU) 2018/2001 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Directive (EU) 2023/2413 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023 amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and Directive 98/70/EC as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652 (OJ L, 2023/2413, 31.10.2023).

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184 of 10 February 2023 supplementing Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing a Union methodology setting out detailed rules for the production of renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin (OJ L 157, 20.6.2023, pp. 11–19).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1185 of 10 February 2023 supplementing Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing a minimum threshold for greenhouse gas emissions savings of recycled carbon fuels and by specifying a methodology for assessing greenhouse gas emissions savings from renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin and from recycled carbon fuels (OJ L 157, 20.6.2023, pp. 20–33).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1640 of 5 June 2023 on the methodology to determine the share of biofuel and biogas for transport, produced from biomass being processed with fossil fuels in a common process (OJ L 205, 18.8.2023, pp. 1–6).

Directive (EU) 2023/1791 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on energy efficiency and amending Regulation (EU) 2023/955 (recast) (OJ L 231, 20.9.2023, pp. 1–111).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/759 of 14 December 2021 amending Annex VII to Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards a methodology for calculating the amount of renewable energy used for cooling and district cooling (OJ L 139, 18.5.2022, pp. 1–12).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2003 of 6 August 2021 supplementing Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing the Union renewable development platform (OJ L 407, 17.11.2021, pp. 4–8).

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807 of 13 March 2019 supplementing Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the determination of high indirect land-use change-risk feedstock for which a significant expansion of the production area into land with high carbon stock is observed and the certification of low indirect land-use change-risk biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels (OJ L 133, 21.5.2019, pp. 1–7).

Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, amending Regulations (EC) No 663/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives 94/22/EC, 98/70/EC, 2009/31/EC, 2009/73/EC, 2010/31/EU, 2012/27/EU and 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 2009/119/EC and (EU) 2015/652 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, pp. 1–77).

See consolidated version.

Directive (EU) 2018/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 amending Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, pp. 210–230).

Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC (OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, pp. 1–56).

See consolidated version.

Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Council Directive 93/12/EEC (OJ L 350, 28.12.1998, pp. 58–68).

See consolidated version.

last update 16.01.2024