Published on 23 October, the Work Programme said that the objectives related to a new climate and energy framework included meeting an 80-95% greenhouse gas emission-reduction goal in 2050 compared to 1990.

The need to foster long-term competitiveness, security of supply and sustainability was among the other objectives, as was the necessity to provide a long-term perspective for investments until 2030.

This is good news to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) as the organisation has been calling for 2030 legislation for renewable energy for quite some time.

EWEA is advocating to make sure the 2030 package is centred around an ambitious and legally-binding RES target, which would become an effective long-term investment driver for the wind power sector.

The Commission's 2050 Energy Roadmap had indicated that wind power must become the leading energy generating technology in all decarbonisation scenarios if Europe is to meet its GHG emissions-reduction commitments in 2050

In addition, the Commission's 2050 Energy Roadmap recognises renewables as a "no-regrets option," together with more energy efficiency and infrastructure, and states that the existing "20% renewable energy target has so far proven an efficient driver in (the) development of the renewable energy in the EU and timely consideration should be given to options for 2030 milestones."

Policy makers should by now understand that proceeding with binding 2030 targets would help the environment, reduce expensive fossil fuel imports, create many more green jobs, and increase technology exports. It would also provide wind power investors with necessary long-term certainty.

On 31 October, Günther Oettinger, the EU's energy commissioner, said there was a need to set fixed emissions reductions and renewable energy targets for 2030.

"I think we need a new CO₂ emissions reduction target," EurActiv.com quoted him as saying. The targets, Oettinger continued, would be "maybe more than 20% or 30% in 2030."

"I [also] think we need a new binding target for renewables because if we just have a new binding target for CO₂ emissions reductions [then] nuclear is better," he added, according to the EurActiv.com story.

Read the full November issue of Wind Watch