EU

A preliminary ruling by the European Court of Justice states panel makers should not be responsible for electrical waste management costs in a seven-year period as the rules in place before the EU’s WEEE directive entered force, in 2012, permitted member states to place the obligation on panel users instead. The resulting change in law, in some states, cannot be applied retroactively, under EU legal rules.

A speech delivered by the European Commission’s executive VP for the European Green Deal reiterated the EU executive’s belief natural gas will play a part in the energy transition, 24 hours before a member of an advisory panel hit out at plans to deem gas and nuclear sustainable energy sources.

The Platform on Sustainable Finance was unstinting in its criticism of a suggestion made by the EU executive on New Year’s Day, that the divisive energy sources be considered eligible for support in the bloc.

Brussels has asked interested parties how the permitting process for renewable energy sites can be simplified across the EU and how private PPAs can be made more attractive. Respondents can submit their thoughts until April 12.

Figures released by Eurostat this week indicated the monumental task facing the renewables industry as Europe attempts to replace a power source which generated a quarter of the bloc’s electricity in 2020.

The 11 planned off-grid networks will offer clean power to around 20,000 people for €0.28/kWh, according to one of the EU bodies which is backing the project.

While the chief executive of Ukraine’s biggest private energy company scrupulously mentioned the role renewables could play in counteracting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, he called for his country’s gas market to be liberalized just as the European Commission appears set to rubber stamp gas as ‘sustainable.’

The European Commission has called for submissions from parties with an interest in a proposed investment in Powen by Brookfield.

The European Commission has given its seal of approval to a government program which will drive an estimated 264 MW of solar and wind capacity across 47 islands while they await connection to the mainland grid.

The Baltic state has offered energy-intensive, international-facing industries up to an 85% discount on a surcharge levied on electricity consumers since May 2017 and made the scheme wider ranging this year, in a move approved by the European Commission.