Europe. Parliament approved raising the share of renewable energy use in the EU to 32% of the total by 2030 and an indicative energy efficiency target for that year of 32.5%.
The House endorsed the informal agreement reached in June with the Council on energy efficiency (434 votes in favour, 104 against and 37 abstentions), renewables (495 positive votes, 68 negative votes and 61 abstentions) and governance of the Energy Union (475 against 100, with 33 abstentions), three pieces of legislation that are part of the clean energy package.
Energy efficiency and renewable targets will be reviewed before 2023, but can only be tightened and not lowered.
Lower the energy bill and promote self-consumption
Thanks to the promotion of efficiency, citizens will see their bills go down. In addition, Europe will be able to reduce its dependence on imported oil and gas, improve air quality and protect the environment.
Countries will be obliged to introduce specific measures to tackle energy poverty. Likewise, individuals will be allowed to produce energy to cover their consumption, as well as store and sell what they do not need.
Towards the second generation of biofuels
Second-generation biofuels can play a key role in reducing the carbon footprint of the transport sector. In addition, at least 14% of the fuel used for transport must come from renewable sources by 2030.
First-generation biofuels with a high risk of "indirect land-use change" (ILUC, i.e. when land shifts from non-agricultural use – such as grasslands and forests – to food production, increasing CO2 emissions) will not be taken into account for renewable use targets from 2030 onwards. From 2019, the contribution of first-generation biofuels to these targets will be gradually reduced until they are left out by 2030.
New governance structure for the Energy Union
Each Member State shall submit ten-year energy and climate plans, detailing national objectives, policies and measures in this area, by 31 December 2019, and every ten years thereafter.
Next steps
Once formally adopted by the Council, the legislative texts will enter into force 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU. The governance regulation will apply directly in all Member States, while countries will have 18 months to transpose the other two directives into national law.
Source: European Parliament.
