Renewables groups want more research budget in Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 26, 2006 (Refocus Weekly) Renewable energy industry associations want the European Commission to acknowledge the continental Parliament’s decision to prioritize research in renewable energies.

In June at a plenary meeting, the European Parliament voted to dedicate two-thirds of the non-nuclear energy research budget under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. The renewables groups claim the European Commission has ignored that decision, which was made following recognition of neglect of research investments in renewables in recent years.

“We are hearing many fine words about the importance of renewables and energy efficiency,” says Christian Kjaer of the European Wind Energy Association. “Now that decision time has arrived, there is silence.”

The EC has decided to ignore the democratic decision of the Parliament in its amended proposal for the program, claim the associations of the Renewable Energy House. The associations include EWEA, European Photovoltaic Industry Association, European Renewable Energy Council and European Renewable Energy Centres.

“We do not understand the position of the European Commission and its priorities for research over the next seven years,” adds Kjaer. “Last month, the European Parliament expressed the will of European citizens to reverse decades of unbalanced focus on fossil fuel energy research.”

The Parliament agreed that research in non-nuclear energy should total Euro 2.4 billion over the seven years of FP7 (2007 to 2013). Over the next five years, the average annual research budget would be Euro 920 million for total Energy research, Euro 580 million for nuclear (63%) and Euro 340 million for non-nuclear, of which Euro 226 million would go to renewables and energy efficiency (25%).

“Europe has the opportunity to move closer to an energy future based on known and predictable costs, derived from clean and indigenous energy sources free of all the security, political, economic and environmental disadvantages associated with the current energy supply structure,” says Kjaer.

Greater investment in research for renewables would contribute to the Lisbon Strategy, and a strong research base is essential for Europe to keep its global leadership in the renewables market. Strong research in renewables and efficiency would be a concrete answer from European decision-makers to the current concerns about security of supply and climate change.

EWEA members include manufacturers representing 90% of the world market in wind, while EPIA members represent 95% of the PV industry in Europe. EREC is an umbrella organization of European groups involved in wind, solar PV, small hydro, biomass, geothermal and solar thermal, while EUREC Agencies represents renewable energy research in Europe from research centres involved in renewable energies.


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