PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PROMOTION AND USE OF ENERGY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES AS ESTABLISHED IN ARTICLE 22 OF DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC SPAIN (YEARS 2009 and 2010)

Abstract

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 establishes an overall European Union (EU) binding target of a 20% share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption and a share of 10% renewable energy in the transport sector to be achieved by all Member States by 2020. To achieve that, it sets 2020 targets for each Member State and a minimum indicative trajectory leading up to that year. In Spain, the target means that renewable sources must account for at least 20% of final energy consumption by 2020 - the same as the EU average - together with a contribution of 10% from renewable sources in the transport sector by that year. The Directive calls on every Member State to draw up and notify a National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) for the period 2011-20 to the European Commission (EC) by 30 June 2010, with a view to complying with the binding targets laid down in the Directive. In addition, Article 22 of the Directive establishes that each Member State shall submit a report to the Commission on the progress in the promotion and use of energy from renewable sources by 31 December 2011, and every two years thereafter. The 2011–20 National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), dated 30 June 2010, was submitted to the European Commission on 6 July 2010. After the elaboration and submission of the NREAP to the European Commission, and within the framework of the difficulties the global and Spanish economy has experienced, the economic aspects associated to the development of renewable energies took on particular importance, leading to the adjustment of targets and the elaboration of a new 2011–20 National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) in Spain, which updated and replaced the previous one with a new NREAP dated 20 December 2011, which was submitted to the European Commission on 5 January 2012.