POLICY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IN THE FIELD OF RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMON POWER INDUSTRY POLICY

Policy of the European Union (hereinafter - the EU) in the field of renewable energy resources (hereinafter RES) is relatively fresh. The first strategic goal concerning use of RES was defined by the EU just in 1997 suggesting that the share of RES in the total balance of primary energy resources should increase from 6% in 1997 to 12% in 2010. However, this so called 'primary' EU policy regarding RES was incomplete as attention was devoted to facilitating the application of RES with indicative objectives defined only in electric power supply and transport sectors. Lack of progress in achieving the indicative objectives and the need to promote the use of RES in all of the member states, not just some, served as a reason for developing a broader and more strict regulation in the EU policy for the field of RES, covering the prospect till the year 2020 so that the EU would achieve the renewable energy share of 20% by the year 2020. Here it is essential to recognize and understand, that the EU's strategic objective for the use of RES does not imply, that with such an approach the use of non-renewable energy resources would be limited in the foreseeable future. Namely, the EU's common power industry policy direction, which is focused on an integrated energy and climate change policy, in the foreseeable future, does not exclude the use of any energy resource. By supporting the use of non-renewable resources in the foreseeable future, preconditions are created for the promotion of a new industrial revolution to encourage the development of environmental technologies. It is important, because new and innovative environmental technologies can stimulate economic growth in various ways, while improving environmental indicators and conserving natural resources (it essentially helps to distinguish or separate economic growth from the impact on the environment).