Report on progress in the promotion and use of energy from renewable sources in Poland in 2009-2010

Abstract

Article 22(1) of Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC, hereinafter referred to as Directive 2009/28/EC, requires Member States to submit a report to the Commission on progress in the promotion and use of energy from renewable sources by 31 December 2011, and every two years thereafter. Member State reports will be important for the European Commission for monitoring overall renewable energy policy developments and Member State compliance with the measures set out in Directive 2009/28/EC and the National Renewable Energy Action Plans. The data included in these reports will also serve to measure the impacts referred to in Article 23 of Directive 2009/28/EC. In order to ensure that the reports are complete, the Commission has issued this template, which covers all requirements laid down in Article 22 of the Directive. Much of the template draws on the template for the National Renewable Energy Action Plans1. Due to the fact that some instructions laid down in Directive 2009/28/EC will be implemented when the new Act on renewable energy sources enters into force, it was not possible to complete the report in full. On 23 December 2011, the draft Act on renewable energy sources, which includes inter alia a proposal to transpose Directive 2009/28/EC, was sent for interministerial arrangements and public consultation. The adopted timeline for the works on the abovementioned Act will allow more complete reports to be drawn up on progress in the promotion and use of energy from renewable sources in Poland. Poland has also stepped up efforts aimed at constant development of the methodology and forms of collecting data necessary to monitor the implementation of the objectives of Directive 2009/28/EC. The data included in this report refer to the period of two years preceding the reporting year 2011, i.e. 2009-2010. Moreover, the report contains information on legislative activities taken up by the end of 2011 which have direct impact on the development of renewable energy. The discussed data suggest that the share of renewable energy is growing. As a result, there is currently no threat to the achievement of the intermediate targets or the final objective of Directive 2009/28/EC. It is expected that optimising support schemes for the producers of electricity from RES, deregulation proposals and administrative facilitation proposed in the new Act on RES will encourage further development of renewable energy. It should be emphasised that decisions of the European Commission and legal provisions adopted at EU level concerning inter alia sustainable development are important for further development of renewable energy sources in Poland. In order to stimulate the development of RES, it is essential to ensure a level playing field and compliance with the requirements applicable in the European Union under the Common Agricultural Policy and environmental policy concerning, among other things, biomass from third countries.