New EU study regarding renewables acceleration areas

In some EU countries, permitting processes can be an obstacle to renewable energy projects. To address this issue, the Renewable Energy Directive, amended in 2023, includes provisions that simplify permitting processes to help set renewable energy projects in motion, while taking into account legitimate concerns of citizens and respecting environmental standards.

Simplifying permitting processes

• May 2022

  As part of the REPowerEU plan to shed the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels, the Commission proposed a series of measures to further accelerate renewable energy projects and remove administrative obstacles. 

• November 2023

  The revised Renewable Energy Directive, which includes faster and simpler permitting procedures for renewable energy projects and their related infrastructure projects, both within and outside renewables acceleration areas, entered into force. 

• December 2023

  EU Energy Ministers agreed to prolong certain emergency measures on permitting until 30 June 2025, following the Commission’s proposal which was initially introduced in December 2022.  

• May 2024

  The Commission adopted a series of new and updated recommendations and guidance documents to improve and streamline permitting procedures and auctions for renewables.

Measures and recommendations

• An updated Recommendation on speeding up permit-granting procedures for renewable energy projects and facilitating Power purchase agreements (C/2022/3219) and the accompanying guidance to the Member States on good practices to speed up permit-granting procedures for Renewable Energy Projects (SWD/2022/149)
• Council Regulation - amending regulation (EU/2022/2577) - laying down a framework to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy (EU/2024/223)
• An updated Recommendation on speeding up permit-granting procedures for renewable energy and related infrastructure projects (EU/2024/1343) and the accompanying guidance to Member States (SWD/2024/124)

These measures are aimed at shortening and accelerating the permit-granting procedures for renewable energy projects, as well as for grid and infrastructure projects that are needed to integrate renewable energy into the electricity system. They complement the permitting reforms that need to be transposed by EU countries by mid-2024 under the revised Renewable Energy Directive (EU/2023/2413).

Power purchase agreements

Renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) – direct contracts between corporate companies and electricity suppliers – are expected to become a major driver for more market-based renewables deployment in the coming years. However, the take-up of this concept has been much slower than expected.

The Commission published in May 2022, a Recommendation and a guidance document on permit-granting processes and PPAs (C/2022/3219) suggesting how best to facilitate power purchase agreements.

Renewables acceleration areas

The Renewable Energy Directive requires EU countries to designate, by February 2026, renewables acceleration areas for at least 1 type of renewable energy technology, with particularly streamlined permit-granting procedures for projects deployed in those areas. These should be areas that are particularly suitable for such projects, on the basis that the type of renewable energy source being deployed is not expected to have a significant environmental impact. 

Further guidance on the designation of renewables acceleration areas is provided in Staff Working Document (SWD/2024/333). The Commission is also making available digitally consolidated datasets on a wide range of relevant energy and environmental factors through the Energy and Industry Geography Lab to help EU countries identify renewables acceleration areas.

Studies and public consultation

The Commission published a study in July 2024 to inform and complement the guidance on designating renewables acceleration areas. 

It provides further information on elements relevant to the designation of renewables acceleration areas, such as spatial considerations, potential environmental impacts, mitigation measures and stakeholder engagement.

To gather relevant inputs from stakeholders, the Commission contracted a study on simplification of permission and administrative procedures for renewable energy sources installations and launched a call for evidence and a public consultation on permit-granting and PPAs in the first quarter of 2022. The synopsis report on the call and the consultation was published in May 2022 (SWD/2022/151). The 'RES Simplify' study (renewable energy sources) was published in 2023. It provides a comprehensive overview of the barriers and good practices related to permit-granting identified in EU countries, Norway and Iceland between 2020-2023. 

Workshops

To support EU countries, the Commission organised a first workshop on permit-granting processes for renewable energy projects in June 2022. Around 100 high-level officials from environment and energy ministries, related agencies from almost all EU countries and officials from several Commission departments attended. It provided an opportunity to discuss challenges and solutions at national, regional and local levels for streamlining permit-granting procedures, improving site selection and minimising environmental impacts.

A second workshop was organised on 17 November 2022 to discuss the options that EU countries have to deploy renewable energy projects quickly, while also ensuring public acceptance. In parallel, administrative barriers to faster permitting of renewable energy projects have also been discussed in the Single Market Enforcement Task Force throughout 2022. The implementation of the Commission Recommendation is being followed in a dedicated informal expert group for Member States. 

Renewable energy communities

The Renewable Energy Directive places a strong emphasis on making it easier for citizens to consume and produce renewable energy. By introducing provisions on self-consumption and renewable energy communities, it gives citizens the possibility to engage in renewable energy projects. Empowering citizens in the clean energy transition may also help increase the local acceptance of renewable energy projects.

Source: European Commission