19 Amendments of Salvatore DE MEO related to 2022/0160(COD)
Amendment 29 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Lengthy administrative procedures are one of the key barriers for investments in renewables and their related infrastructure. These barriers include the complexity of the applicable rules for site selection and administrative authorisations for projects, in this case with regard to restrictions relating to the historical significance of certain sites, the complexity and duration of the assessment of the environmental impacts of the projects, grid connection issues, constraints on adapting technology specifications during the permit-granting procedure, or staffing issues of the permit- granting authorities or grid operators. In order to accelerate the pace of deployment of renewable energy projects it is necessary to adopt rules which would simplify and shorten permit-granting processes.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The Directive (EU) 2018/2001 streamlines the requirements to simplify the administrative procedures for authorising renewable energy plants by introducing rules on the organisation and maximum duration of the administrative part of the permit-granting process for renewable energy projects, covering all relevant permits to build, repower and operate plants, and for their grid connection. The European Commission must also table a specific plan to streamline production, thereby facilitating the swifter deployment and implementation of renewable energy projects. This plan will ensure support for energy efficiency initiatives at production sites, guaranteeing incentives on achievement of real savings targets assessed on the difference between consumption before and after.
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Member States should designate as renewables go-to areas those areas that are particularly suitable to develop renewable energy projects, differentiating between technologies, and where the deployment of the specific type of renewable energy sources is not expected to have a significant environmental impacttakes account of environmental and food safety with regard to agricultural production. In the designation of renewables go-to areas, Member States should avoid protected areas to the extent possible and consider restoration plans. Member States may designate renewable go-to areas specific for one or more types of renewable energy plants and should indicate the type or types of renewable energy that are suitable to be produced in each renewable go-to area.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17a) Farming for the production for food and feed on the one hand and energy generation on the other are two activities that need to coexist. To this end, the production of various types of renewable energy will have to be facilitated on sites that can easily be reached by farmers and must be in line with production targets.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The installation of solar energy equipment, together with related co-located storage and grid connection, in existing or future structures created for purposes different than solar energy production with the exclusion of artificial water surfaces, such as rooftops, parking areas, roads and railways, do not typically raise concerns related to competing uses of space or environmental impact. These installations therefore may benefit from shorter permit- granting procedures. These simplified formalities should also make it possible to overcome certain restrictions imposed by the national supervisory authorities relating to the historical or monumental significance of buildings.
Amendment 79 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 23 a (new)
Recital 23 a (new)
(23a) The Commission must also provide for a specific system of exemptions from state aid guidelines to enable Member States to properly calibrate assistance for initiatives and investments in renewables, self-generation, and energy efficiency.
Amendment 82 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 25 a (new)
Recital 25 a (new)
(25a) Solar energy production as a secondary activity, using solar plants installed on new or existing artificial surfaces, should not be limited to actual consumption but should, where feasible, allow the generation of excess energy that can then be sold. This would have the double advantage of supplementing the income of entrepreneurs and farmers, while making it easier to meet national and European alternative energy production targets.
Amendment 94 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 2, point 16
Article 2, point 16
Amendment 103 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15 - paragraph 3a new
Article 15 - paragraph 3a new
(3a) The European Commission shall ensure that an energy efficiency plan is submitted providing incentives for Member States to achieve energy saving targets. This plan should be updated on an annual basis, adapting to future European energy efficiency standards and setting new savings targets for Member States.
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15b – paragraph 1a (new)
Article 15b – paragraph 1a (new)
(1 a) In addition to the above identification, Member States shall revaluate the areas defined as non- suitable for renewable development by three months after the entry into force. Member States should limit those areas to those that have constraints that make the implementation of renewable energy projects incompatible. The number of non-suitable areas should be kept to the necessary.
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Directive EU 2018/2001
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – letter a – indent 1
Article 15c – paragraph 1 – letter a – indent 1
— give priority to artificial and built surfaces, such as rooftops, transport infrastructure areas, parking areas, waste sites, industrial sites, farming and agro- industrial structures and particularly all roofs of farm buildings, mines, artificial inland water bodies, lakes or reservoirs, and, where appropriate, urban waste water treatment sites, as well as degraded land not usable for agriculture;
Amendment 223 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 15 – paragraph 3a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3a (new)
(3 a) Member States shall favor and prioritize hybridization and repowering, with the inclusion of either renewable energy facilities of different technology or electricity storage in existing plants, taking into account the need to strengthen the existing renewable capacity in the Union. Such projects' permitting procedures shall not last more than six months, and any environmental impacts should only be evaluated in relation to the additional impacts brought on by the change from the original proposal. All hybridization and repowering projects, whether inside or outside the designated land and sea needed for the development of renewable energy, shall be subject to these provisions. Existing public support schemes should be compatible with such hybridization applications in operating RES plants and not affected as long as a separate energy metering system is applied.
Amendment 235 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 16a – paragraph 1
Article 16a – paragraph 1
(1) Member States shall ensure that the permit-granting process referred to in Article 16(1)and Article 16(a) shall not exceed one yearsix months for projects in renewables go-to areas. Where duly justified on the ground of extraordinary circumstances, that one-yearsix months period may be extended by up to three months. In such a case, Member States shall clearly inform the developer about the extraordinary circumstances that justified the extension.
Amendment 239 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
(2) The permit-granting process for the repowering of plants and for new installations with an electrical capacity of less than 150 kW, co-located energy storage facilities as well as their grid connection, located in renewables go-to areas and those assets necessary for the development of the electric transmission grid required to integrate RES in the system, located in renewables go-to areas or repowering projects with no significant additional impact shall not exceed sixtwo months. Where duly justified on the ground of extraordinary circumstances, such as on grounds of overriding safety reasons where the repowering project impacts substantially on the grid or the original capacity, size or performance of the installation, that one yeartwo months period may be extended by up to three months. Member States shall clearly inform the project developer about the extraordinary circumstances that justify the extension. In the event the repowering project determines an increase in the capacity of the installation and the need for further network developments without increasing the occupied area, the repowering project and the grid development projects associated to the repowering are authorized through the same simplified procedure.
Amendment 248 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 16a – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 16a – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Without prejudice to paragraphs 4 and 5, by derogation from Article 4(2) of Directive 2011/92/EU, and Annex II, points 3(a), (b), (d), (h), (i), and 6(c) alone or in conjunction with point 13(a) to that Directive as far as this concerns renewable energy projects, new applications for renewable energy plants, except for biomass combustion plants, including the repowering of plants, in already designated renewables go-to areas for the respective technology, co-located storage facilities as well as their connection to the grid and those assets necessary for the development of the electric transmission grid required to integrate RES in the system, shall be exempted from the requirement to carry out a dedicated environmental impact assessment under Article 2(1) of Directive 2011/92/EU and from the requirement to obtain opinions from the competent authorities concerning landscape and environmental aspects which are not included in the environmental impact assessment, provided that these projects comply with the rules and measures set out in accordance with Article 15c(1), point (b). The exemption from the application of Directive 2011/92/EU above shall not apply to projects which are likely to have significant effects on the environment in another Member State or where a Member State likely to be significantly affected so requests, as provided for in Article 7 of the said Directive.
Amendment 264 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 16a – paragraph 6
Article 16a – paragraph 6
(6) In the permit-granting process of the applications referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, the lack of reply of the relevant administrative bodies within the established deadline shall result in the specific administrative steps to be considered as approved, except in those cases where the specific project is subject to an environmental impact assessment in accordance with paragraph 5. All resulting decisions will be publicly available. The administrative bodies in charge of the permitting procedure are required to adhere to the deadlines outlined in paragraphs 1 and 2, failing which the EU has the option of initiating an infringement procedure against the Member State.
Amendment 268 #
(1) Member States shall ensure that the permit-granting process referred to in Article 16(1) and Article 16(2) shall not exceed two year18 months, for projects outside renewables go-to areas. Where duly justified on the grounds of extraordinary circumstances, that two-year period may be extended by up to three months. In such a case, Member States shall clearly inform the developer about the extraordinary circumstances that justified the extension.
Amendment 273 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Directive (EEU) 2018/2001
Article 16b – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 16b – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Where an environmental assessment is required under Directive 2011/92/EU or Directive 92/43/EEC, it shall be carried out in a single procedure that combines all relevant assessments for a given project. When any such environmental impact assessment is required, the competent authority, taking into account the information provided by the developer, shall issue an opinion on the scope and level of detail of the information to be included by the developer in the environmental impact assessment report, of which the scope shall not be extended subsequently. Where the specific projects have adopted appropriate mitigation measures, any killing or disturbance of the species protected under Article 12(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC and Article 5 of Directive 2009/147/EC shall not be considered deliberate. Where novel mitigation measures to prevent as much as possible the killing or disturbance of species protected under Council Directive 92/43/EEC and Directive 2009/147/EEC, or any other environmental impact, have not been widely tested as regards their effectiveness, Member States may allow their use for one or several pilot projects for a limited time period, provided that the effectiveness of such measures is closely monitored and appropriate steps are taken immediately if they do not prove to be effective. The permit-granting process for the repowering of projects and for new installations with an electrical capacity of less than 150 kW, co-located storage facilities as well as their grid connection and those assets necessary for the development of the electric transmission grid required to integrate RES in the system, located outside renewables go-to areas shall not exceed one year including environmental assessments where required by relevant legislation. Where duly justified on the ground of extraordinary circumstances, this one-year period may be extended by up to three months. Member States shall clearly inform the developers about the extraordinary circumstances that justified the extension.
Amendment 279 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Directive (EU) 2018/2001
Article 16b – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 16b – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Member States shall facilitate the repowering of projects located outside go- to areas by ensuring that, if an environmental assessment for a project is required under the Union environmental legislation, such assessment shall be limited to the potential impacts stemming from the change or extension compared to the original project. The repowering project and the grid development projects related to the repowering are authorized through the same simplified procedure in the event that the repowering project determines an increase in the installation's capacity and the need for additional network developments without increasing the occupied area.