This month, following the news of the amendments of rapporteur Claude Turmes to the EU Directive for the Promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, the postulate is:

"The EU Directive and its amendments will remove the existing barriers and ensure a prosperous growth of sustainable energy in Europe”

This week, our guest commenting on this Sustatement is Carlos Gascó from Iberdrola Renovables, a subsidiary of Spanish utility Iberdrola which is currently ranked as the world’s leader in wind power ownership with over 8,000 MW of wind capacity in the present time.

“After the initial discussions, in my opinion, the Commission came out with a reasonable initial proposal back in January this year. Along the way – with the amendments by MEP Turmes - a number of improvements have been suggested.

However, some doubts still remain. In my opinion progress could be made by introducing a more legally stable and secure arrangement -for all agents- regarding the design of the flexibility mechanism defined in Art 9. Turmes' proposal about a dual system of certificates (GOs on one hand and TACs on the other) seems like a fine compromise that should allow for trade. We have to bear in mind that if this initiative is to deliver, Governments must feel safe, protecting their own support systems, alongside with companies, which should also be comfortable with their assigned role. Stakeholders should see this issue as a tool to build, as a way forward, rather than being merely a threat.

Also I would like to stress the importance of Article 14, since it grants renewable energy priority access to the grid. It is vital to preserve the current wording, or we will see difficulties in the future.

The industry is now expecting the Renewable Energy Directive to be approved at the end of this year; as one of the main items of the French Presidency. We're getting closer and closer and should remain aware that the decision has to be made by agreement between the Parliament and the Council. Therefore, it is key to the Directive’s success that a consensus is reached among the Member States.

I believe we are on the right path, but a last effort by all stakeholders is to be made to achieve legislation that removes the existing barriers and ensures a prosperous growth of sustainable energy in Europe.”

Earlier, Arthouros Zervos (president EREC), Andris Piebalgs (Energy Commissioner) and Claes Hedenström (President RECS International) reacted to this Sustatement.