Implementing the EU Renewables Directive

The European Renewables Directive requires Member States to deliver on average 20% of their final energy consumption by 2020 using renewable energy sources. To deliver this target, Member States have to adjust planning procedures, evaluate energy market design, provide grid and supply infrastructure, and implement support schemes that limit regulatory risk for finance. The paper discusses how quantitative policy indicators can allow governments to measure and manage the successful implementation of the necessary policies to deliver the renewable targets. The indicators need to be designed so that they can focus on individual components of the policy framework and measure whether the envisaged annual deployment level of a technology is compatible with the framework in place in a country. Increased transparency provided by policy indicators facilitates management of policy implementation, enhances accountability of governments and can inform the reporting of Member States to the European Commission. This allows technology companies to have confidence in projected deployment levels and triggers private sector investment in the supply chain to provide the necessary production capacity.