A broad coalition of non-governmental organizations, civil society actors, and private sector companies has called on the European Commission and member states to commit to the stability of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and to refrain from reopening this legislative framework during the negotiations on the energy structure for the post-2030 period.
Why Are Stakeholders Demanding Legislative Stability?
This position comes ahead of the Energy Council meeting on October 29, as the signatories believe that the directive has undergone four revisions over the past four years. Although each revision aimed to address legitimate policy developments, the cumulative impact has led to a state of regulatory uncertainty, especially since many of the new provisions adopted since 2023 have not yet been implemented in most member states.
Risks of Reopening the Legislative File
The alliance warns that continuing to amend the rules threatens the investment certainty necessary to achieve Europe's climate and energy security goals. The main risks include:
- Delays in final investment decisions for renewable energy projects.
- Increased financing costs as investors price in the risks of regulatory uncertainty.
- Distraction of regulatory attention from the implementation and enforcement phase, which is the crucial stage for delivering on-the-ground results.
What Does Europe Actually Need?
Instead of frequent legislative revisions, proponents of stability believe that priority must be given to the rigorous implementation of existing rules. To accelerate this process, the alliance suggests that the European Commission take practical steps, including:
- Enforcing the implementation of current Renewable Energy Directive provisions by linking them to conditional EU funding mechanisms.
- Providing technical support to member states to enhance their capacities in permit-issuing and electrical grid planning.
The stability of the regulatory framework is a fundamental pillar to ensure the flow of investments into energy infrastructure, including grid access rules, auction mechanisms, and power and heat purchase agreement frameworks.