Project

In 2009, the European Union adopted the first Renewable Energy Directive (the RES Directive, DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC). This Directive established an overall renewable energy target of at least 20% in final energy consumption for the EU (which is broken down in national targets) and a 10% target of renewable energy in transport for 2020 (which is the same for each Member State (MS)). In accordance with Article 4 of RES Directive each MS has submitted an NREAP to the European Commission in 2010 or later. In its NREAP, each MS provides a detailed roadmap describing how it will meet its legally binding national 2020 RES target. In addition, most MS define slightly more ambitious non-mandatory 2020 NREAP targets. The roadmaps contain indicative sectoral trajectories and the technology mix they expect to use. Every two years, each MS has to submit a report on the developments in RES compared with the trajectories in its NREAP (“Progress Reports”). RES Directive Article 23 requires the Commission to report on the progress in renewable energy every two years.

The report provides the results from data collection, analysis and assessment of the progress in deployment of renewable energy, and national measures promoting such deployment, in the 28 EU Member States.

The report not only analyses past progress, but also models future progress as to identify sectors and Member States (MS) where action is required to ensure target achievement. This analysis is based on MS National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAP), renewable energy Progress Reports submitted in 2019/2020 by MS, SHARES and Eurostat statistics, other reports and studies, and additional research. The main focus of this report is on 2017/2018, but results presented are based on the policy landscape up to July 2020.

The report is structured as follows:

1. to present an overview of the past progress of the 28 MS and the EU on deployment of renewable energy, also split by the three sectors electricity, heating & cooling and transport. We also present trends in policy measures planned and implemented and an overview of MS progress in relation to the 2018 indicative trajectories.
2. to assess how feasible the achievement of the 2020 nationally binding RES targets appears under two different scenarios. We not only model the projected future progress of the renewable energy share overall, but also by energy sector and MS.
3. to present a set of recommendations for the MS projected not to achieve their binding national 2020 RES target on possible actions that could be taken to alter this path.
4. to present a summary and conclusions.

Additionally, the annexes present detailed assessment including:

• detailed quantitative progress of all MS per sector and per technology,
• detailed assessments of planned and implemented measures and policies per MS,
• detailed analysis of non-economic barriers per MS.

Report: Technical assistance in realisation of the 5th report on progress of renewable energy in the EU

The European Commission – DG ENER

• Navigant (Guidehause) - coordinator
• Fraunhofer ISI: Barbara Breitschopf, Lin Zheng, Matthias Kühnbach, Anna Billerbeck
• TU Wien
• REKK
• CASE