ENVI adopted measures to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use in the EU by 2050. They also supported a proposal that the European Commission should come forward with a White Paper outlining the legislation necessary to achieve this goal by 2010.

The Committee agreed that the development of infrastructure for renewables should be consistent with the Birds and Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive. It blocked another one that tried to put in place a moratorium on construction of wind farms on peat land.

Amongst other amendments, ENVI supported binding interim targets for renewable energy and the strengthening of the integration of renewables into the grid.

The draft RES Directive will now pass to the European Parliament’s Energy Committee (ITRE) for vote in early September.

To read the proposed Directive click here.