Revision of the Renewable Energy Directive: Fit for 55 package [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Alex Wilson (1st edition).

On 14 July 2021 the European Commission adopted the ‘fit for 55’ package, adapting existing climate and energy legislation to meet the new EU objective of a minimum 55 % reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. The fit for 55 package is part of the European Green Deal, a flagship of the von der Leyen Commission that aims to put the EU firmly on the path towards climate neutrality by 2050, as set out in the recently agreed European Climate Law (July 2021).

One element in the fit for 55 package is the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), to help the EU deliver the new 55 % GHG target. Under RED II, the EU is currently obliged to ensure at least 32 % of its energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources (RES) by 2030. The revised RED II strengthens these provisions and sets a new EU target of a minimum 40 % share of RES in final energy consumption by 2030, together with new sectoral targets. In the European Parliament, the file has been referred to the Committee for Industry, Research and Energy, with the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety as associated committee under Rule 57. Discussions on the file have also begun in the Council of the EU.

Versions

November 2021: Revision of the Renewable Energy Directive: Fit for 55 package (1st edition)

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, and Directive 98/70/EC as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652

Committee responsible:	Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)	COM(2021) 557 14.7.2021
Rapporteur:	Markus Pieper (EPP, Germany)	2021/0218(COD)
Shadow rapporteurs:	Nicolás González Casares (S&D, Spain) Christophe Grudler (Renew, France) Ville Niinistö (Greens/EFA, Finland) Paolo Borchia (ID, Italy) Evžen Tošenovský (ECR, Czechia) Sira Rego (The Left, Spain)	Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’)