Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/822 on speeding up permit-granting procedures for renewable energy projects and facilitating Power Purchase Agreements

Summary:

Recommendation (EU) 2022/822 - adopted by the European Commission on 18 May 2022 - on speeding up permit-granting procedures for renewable energy projects and facilitating Power Purchase Agreements.

Further information:

Speeding up the production of energy from the development and deployment of renewable energy installations is seen as vital for the European Union (EU) to reach its 2030 renewable energy target and GHG emission reductions. Rapidly increasing the share of renewable energy is also deemed crucial for addressing the problem of high energy prices, and for addressing EU dependency on fossil fuels and phasing out the consumption of Russian gas.

Renewable energy projects are in principle required to receive an authorisation so that they are able to perform their intended activity. Permit-granting procedures help to ensure that the projects are safe and secure. However, the complexity, variety and excessive duration of those procedures constitutes a major barrier to the swift deployment of renewable energy. The lack of public acceptance of renewable energy projects is another significant barrier to their implementation in many EU Member States. Administrative barriers became more relevant due to the improvements regarding other barriers

This Recommendation addresses these concerns, calling for solutions to be found within the existing legal framework. It was adopted by the European Commission on 18 May 2022 as part of the REPowerEU package of initiatives.

Official

European Commission: Press Release, 18/05/2022: REPowerEU: A plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast forward the green transition https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_3131

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