Wood Bioenergy » EU http://woodbioenergymagazine.com/blog a Hatton-Brown publication Mon, 21 May 2012 16:42:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 EU Meeting Renewable Goals http://woodbioenergymagazine.com/blog/2010/eu-meeting-renewable-goals/ http://woodbioenergymagazine.com/blog/2010/eu-meeting-renewable-goals/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:15:00 +0000 Web Editor http://woodbioenergymagazine.com/blog/?p=259 Recent reports suggest the European Union will exceed its target of getting 20% of its energy from renewable sources in 2020. The latest national projections submitted by governments to the EU executive suggest the 27-nation bloc could reach an overall renewable share of 20.3% by the end of the decade. Spain and Germany are projecting the largest surpluses in 2020, predicting they will exceed their national renewable targets by 2.7 and 0.7 percentage points, respectively. However, there are projected shortfalls in several EU countries, including Italy, which expects to miss its 17% target by 1 percentage point. EU governments that miss their 2020 targets will be forced to buy surplus renewable production from other countries to make up the difference, or could face legal action from the Commission.

]]> http://woodbioenergymagazine.com/blog/2010/eu-meeting-renewable-goals/feed/ 0 EU Group Drops Biomass Rules http://woodbioenergymagazine.com/blog/2010/eu-group-drops-biomass-rules/ http://woodbioenergymagazine.com/blog/2010/eu-group-drops-biomass-rules/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:39:44 +0000 Web Editor http://woodbioenergymagazine.com/blog/?p=238 In a report published the end of February, the European Commission’s energy department has confirmed there will be no EU effort—yet—to develop regulations concerning standards for biomass origin and sustainability, though the issue of “sustainability criteria” would be reviewed in 2011. The issue was hotly debated last year during Commission meetings.

The report stated that EU countries will be free to set up separate national programs to promote biomass without binding standards on the origins of the plant or tree matter. To address environmental concerns, the Commission issued recommendations to member states on what types of biomass to avoid, such as material from cleared tropical forests, and to seek biomass feedstocks that offer maximum greenhouse gas reductions compared to fossil fuels. With an EU target for member states to derive 20% of their energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2020, biomass use in the EU is set to increase. Currently, biomass accounts for 60% of the EU’s renewable energy.

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