European Parliament greenlights Renewable Energy Directive

The European Parliament has voted to boost the deployment of renewable energy by adopting the Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII) legislative revision.

The update of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) will raise the share of renewables in the EU’s final energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030 and aims to shorten the approval procedure for the deployment of renewables.

The legislation was adopted with 470 votes to 120, with 40 abstentions.

The REDIII revision stems from the 'Fit for 55' package, aimed at adapting existing climate and energy legislation to meet the EU goal of a minimum 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

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According to an EU Parliament statement, the legislation will:

• Speed up procedures to grant permits for new renewable energy power plants.
• Ensure national authorities take no longer than 12 months to approve new renewable energy installations if located in renewables go-to areas.
• Aid the transport sector in reducing emissions by 14.5% due to a greater share of biofuels and a more ambitious quota for renewable fuels of non-biological origin, such as hydrogen.
• Ensure that member states set an indicative target for innovative renewable energy technology of at least 5% of newly installed renewable energy capacity, as well as a binding framework for cross-border energy projects.
• Push for stricter criteria on the use of biomass to ensure that the EU does not subsidise unsustainable practices.

The legislative revision will now have to be formally endorsed by the Council in order to come into law.