France’s Economy Minister slams EU’s ‘no longer wanted’ renewable targets

French nuclear power sites [credit: neimagazine.com]

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So-called climate targets are once more proving to be a recipe for trouble wherever they appear. With a large nuclear fleet for its electricity generation, France is calling EU demands “the Europe we no longer want” and ignoring its directives, incurring the wagging finger of warning from Brussels.
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The EU’s renewable energy targets adopted in March last year are too restrictive and unsatisfactory as climate goals, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, who took over the Energy portfolio in a recent government reshuffle, said on Monday (4 March).

Despite repeated requests from the European Commission, France remains opposed to the calculation method used by Brussels to set targets for the use of renewable energy, says Euractiv.

“The targets can no longer be to have so many windmills here, so many photovoltaic panels here,” Le Maire said on Monday, criticising “the Europe we no longer want”.

The calculation method is set out in the Renewable Energy Directive, the third version of which (RED III) was adopted last March, and cites that the EU must collectively reach a 42.5% share of renewable energy in its gross final energy consumption by 2030 – with some states having to aim for at least 45%.

France, for instance, must achieve a renewable share of at least 44%, as efforts have been distributed according to each member state’s capacities.

Except the French government refuses to lay down this target in writing.

No reference to it was made in the energy-climate plan sent to the European Commission last November, in which the government prefers to set a target of 56% ‘decarbonised energy’, or in its energy-climate programme, which set out French climate targets on a multi-year basis and has since been shelved.

France has been warned by the Commission to reconsider its plans, with Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson saying the EU executive was ready to “propose measures at EU level” to remedy the situation – though she provided no further details.
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“France will not pay any penalties”, given the fact that its emissions are “among the lowest of all European countries,” Le Maire said.

“We will find a solution with the European Commission,” he added.

Full article here.
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Image: French nuclear power sites [credit: neimagazine.com]