An Implementation Dialogue on renewable energy projects was held with the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, during the European Sustainable Energy Week. The aim of this dialogue was to discuss the acceleration and simplification of permitting processes related to the implementation of renewable energy projects, with the final objective of at least 42.5% renewable energy in final energy consumption by 2030.
In order to achieve this goal, significant upscaling of current renewables deployment will be necessary – in line with the objectives of both the Clean Industrial Deal, as well as the complementary Affordable Energy Action Plan. However, several bottlenecks still remain. Indeed, permit approvals still face delays from uncoordinated processes, lengthy procedures, lack of adequate staff resources, out-of-date systems, etc.
The aim of the dialogue included: (1) the assessment of the effectiveness of the current legislative framework, (2) the identification of challenges (legal, administrative, practical, etc.) hindering permitting, (3) the exploration of solutions and opportunities to these challenges and bottlenecks, and (4) the promotion of dialogue amongst stakeholders.