The European Parliament advocates not taxing the self-consumption of solar energy with taxes "of any kind". In addition, it is committed to raising the target of solar power for the European Union to 35% in 2030, compared to the goal of 27% set at present.
The draft renewable energy bill approved by the European Parliament is committed to promoting the consumption of renewable energy in the EU by urging members to "ensure that consumers have the right to become self-consumers of renewable energy by using solar panels" it states.
For this purpose, these consumers must be authorised "to self-consume and sell (...) their surplus production of renewable electricity without being subjected to discriminatory or disproportionate procedures and charges that do not reflect the costs. Something which the current Spanish Government is doing in flagrant fashion to help the big electricity companies in detriment of the citizens. There have been long legal battles on this subject which we have written about it in previous articles.
In addition, the Spanish MEPs approved an amendment asking to allow the consumption of electricity from renewable sources of own production and remaining within one’s own premises "without being subject to taxes, fees or levies of any kind". This amendment received 594 votes in favour, 69 against and 20 abstentions.
A step forward on solar panels
"We have called the citizens to arms against something that was a battle, which is to ensure self-consumption as a right. The consumption of renewable energy as a right and eliminating red tape and barriers and prohibitive measures such as the tax known in my country as “the sun tax ", emphasised the Spanish Socialist MEP Blanco.
Asked about the future of this amendment in the negotiations with community partners, Blanco has relied on having the support of the European Commission, which has warned that the Parliament will not give up, given the support it has received this in terms of this part of the draft legislation.
In addition, the full European Parliament has called for raising the renewable energy target for the European Union to 35% in 2030, compared to the target of 27% set today as part of the EU’s efforts to meet commitments made in the Paris Agreement.The draft renewable energy bill approved by the European Parliament is committed to promoting the consumption of renewable energy in the EU by urging members to "ensure that consumers have the right to become self-consumers of renewable energy by using solar panels" it states.
For this purpose, these consumers must be authorised "to self-consume and sell (...) their surplus production of renewable electricity without being subjected to discriminatory or disproportionate procedures and charges that do not reflect the costs. Something which the current Spanish Government is doing in flagrant fashion to help the big electricity companies in detriment of the citizens. There have been long legal battles on this subject which we have written about it in previous articles.
In addition, the Spanish MEPs approved an amendment asking to allow the consumption of electricity from renewable sources of own production and remaining within one’s own premises "without being subject to taxes, fees or levies of any kind". This amendment received 594 votes in favour, 69 against and 20 abstentions.
A step forward on solar panels
"We have called the citizens to arms against something that was a battle, which is to ensure self-consumption as a right. The consumption of renewable energy as a right and eliminating red tape and barriers and prohibitive measures such as the tax known in my country as “the sun tax ", emphasised the Spanish Socialist MEP Blanco.
Asked about the future of this amendment in the negotiations with community partners, Blanco has relied on having the support of the European Commission, which has warned that the Parliament will not give up, given the support it has received this in terms of this part of the draft legislation.
In addition, the full European Parliament has called for raising the renewable energy target for the European Union to 35% in 2030, compared to the target of 27% set today as part of the EU’s efforts to meet commitments made in the Paris Agreement.The draft renewable energy bill approved by the European Parliament is committed to promoting the consumption of renewable energy in the EU by urging members to "ensure that consumers have the right to become self-consumers of renewable energy by using solar panels" it states.
For this purpose, these consumers must be authorised "to self-consume and sell (...) their surplus production of renewable electricity without being subjected to discriminatory or disproportionate procedures and charges that do not reflect the costs. Something which the current Spanish Government is doing in flagrant fashion to help the big electricity companies in detriment of the citizens. There have been long legal battles on this subject which we have written about it in previous articles.
In addition, the Spanish MEPs approved an amendment asking to allow the consumption of electricity from renewable sources of own production and remaining within one’s own premises "without being subject to taxes, fees or levies of any kind". This amendment received 594 votes in favour, 69 against and 20 abstentions.
A step forward on solar panels
"We have called the citizens to arms against something that was a battle, which is to ensure self-consumption as a right. The consumption of renewable energy as a right and eliminating red tape and barriers and prohibitive measures such as the tax known in my country as “the sun tax ", emphasised the Spanish Socialist MEP Blanco.
Asked about the future of this amendment in the negotiations with community partners, Blanco has relied on having the support of the European Commission, which has warned that the Parliament will not give up, given the support it has received this in terms of this part of the draft legislation.
In addition, the full European Parliament has called for raising the renewable energy target for the European Union to 35% in 2030, compared to the target of 27% set today as part of the EU’s efforts to meet commitments made in the Paris Agreement.
About time too !!!
The Spanish MEPs approved with 492 votes in favour, 88 against and 107 abstentions the report of the socialist party PSOE Euro MP José Blanco, which sets out the European Parliament’s position with a view to the negotiations that should start now with the Council of the EU, the community institution representing the Member States, which advocates maintaining the target at 27%.
"Today we can say that the European Parliament has given a clear and unequivocal message to meet the Paris objectives and to promote an energy transition based on clean energy and renewable energy," Blanco stressed at a press conference after the vote, in which he has also described the EU Council's position as "erratic" and has expressed his confidence in being able to change it.
To achieve this percentage across the EU, countries must set their own national targets, which will be coordinated and monitored under another legislative project on energy governance, which has also been approved.
Meanwhile, the MEPs agreed to set an energy efficiency target of 35% by 2030, which will be calculated on the basis of the projection of energy consumption for the same year according to the PRIMES model, which simulates the consumption and supply of energy in the EU.
The EU's Renewable energy directive sets a binding target of 20% final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020. To achieve this, EU countries have committed to reaching their own national renewables targets ranging from 10% in Malta to 49% in Sweden. They are also each required to having at least 10% of their transport fuels come from renewable sources by 2020.
All EU countries have adopted national renewable energy action plans showing what actions they intend to take to meet their renewables targets. These plans include sectoral targets for electricity, heating and cooling, and transport; planned policy measures; the different mix of renewables technologies they expect to employ; and the planned use of cooperation mechanisms.
Renewables will continue to play a key role in helping the EU meet its energy needs beyond 2020. EU countries have already agreed on a new renewable energy target of at least 27% of final energy consumption in the EU as a whole by 2030 as part of the EU's energy and climate goals for 2030 which they are trying to raise the figure to the 35% mark.
On 30 November 2016, the Commission published a proposal for a revised Renewable Energy Directive to make the EU a global leader in renewable energy and ensure that the 2030 target is met.
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