EU warns Cyprus over failure to comply with renewable energy laws
On Wednesday, the European Commission issued a reasoned opinion to Cyprus and seven other European Union member states for their failure to incorporate EU laws aimed at accelerating permit granting procedures for renewable energy projects into their national legal systems.
The commission said it “calls on” the eight member states to implement the laws, with a reasoned opinion the second in a five-step procedure the commission employs to deal with non-compliance, with member states which do not comply taken as a last resort to the European Court of Justice and issued fines, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
The seven other member states to receive reasoned opinions are Bulgaria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovakia, and Sweden.
It added that the directives set “clear deadlines for permit granting procedures concerning specific technologies or types of projects”, as well as introducing “a presumption that renewable energy projects, storage and related network infrastructure are of overriding public interest”.
“Member States are also required to design ‘renewable energy acceleration zones’, where projects can benefit from shorter permit granting periods, given their low environmental impact,” the commission explained.
A total of 18 of those member states have since satisfied the commission’s request, with Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Slovakia, and Sweden the outstanding member states.
Those eight member states now have two months to “respond and take the necessary measures”, lest the commission “decide to refer the cases” to the European Court of Justice.
Two weeks ago, Cyprus had received seven letters of formal notice from the commission over a range of subjects, including on the directive on reporting on projected emissions of certain air pollutants and the directive on the restriction of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
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