EU energy ministers agree on joint negotiating position for future energy laws

The EU is committed to reaching a target of at least 27 percent renewable energy of its overall energy consumption by 2030, the member states’ energy ministers agreed in Brussels. This formed part of a package of agreements on the Renewable Energy Directive, the Governance of the Energy Union Regulation and the Electricity Market Design directive and regulation. In 2018, the Council will negotiate with the European Parliament and the Commission on the final texts. The Commission had presented its clean energy package at the end of 2016. The European Parliament is expected to agree on its negotiating mandate for this directive in the beginning of next year. In a separate press release, German state secretary in the economy ministry Rainer Baake said the energy package was a “milestone” and the Council agreement would help determine the course of the future European energy transition.

Find the Council’s press releases in English here, here and here, read the BMWi press release in German here, and read a EURACTIV article in English here.