BETA


2021/2012(INI) A European strategy for offshore renewable energy
Next event: Indicative plenary sitting date 2022/02/14

Progress: Awaiting Parliament's vote

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead ITRE PETERSEN Morten (icon: Renew Renew) WEISS Pernille (icon: EPP EPP), FUGLSANG Niels (icon: S&D S&D), PAULUS Jutta (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), BUCHHEIT Markus (icon: ID ID), TOBISZOWSKI Grzegorz (icon: ECR ECR), ERNST Cornelia (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Committee Opinion PECH CHABAUD Catherine (icon: Renew Renew) Grace O'SULLIVAN (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), Bert-Jan RUISSEN (icon: ECR ECR), Giuseppe MILAZZO (icon: PPE PPE), Valentino GRANT (icon: ID ID), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (icon: S&D S&D)
Committee Opinion TRAN MARINESCU Marian-Jean (icon: EPP EPP) Clare DALY (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL), Pierre KARLESKIND (icon: RE RE), Jutta PAULUS (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), Robert ROOS (icon: ECR ECR), Julie LECHANTEUX (icon: ID ID)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2022/02/14
   Indicative plenary sitting date
2021/12/06
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted an own-initiative report by Morten PETERSEN (Renew Europe, DK) on a European strategy for marine renewable energy.

A key element of the green transition

The report stressed that tackling climate change with the take up of offshore renewable energy is essential to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and meeting the EU's commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest. The Commission is urged to make offshore renewable energy and other relevant energy technologies essential components of the European energy system by 2050 .

Members recalled that, according to the Commission, the targets for energy production from offshore renewable energy in all EU sea basins are at least 60 GW by 2030 and 340 GW by 2050 and that the installed capacity of offshore wind should be 70-79 GW to ensure a cost-competitive transition to a 55% reduction by 2030. The report called on Member States and the public and private sectors to go beyond the 55% reduction target by 2030 .

Members called on the Commission to revise public procurement and state aid rules to ensure a cost-competitive transition, supported by a well-functioning market that encourages the take-up of offshore wind. In this respect, they noted that there are areas where offshore energy potential remains largely untapped, such as the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Seas.

The Commission is invited to carry out an impact assessment that clarifies the economic and socio-economic impacts of offshore renewable energy, focusing on existing and new jobs created by the deployment of 300-450 GW of capacity by 2050 .

Infrastructure and networks

The report highlighted the urgent need to improve and expand existing infrastructure to allow for the increased use of electricity from renewable energy sources. The Commission and Member States are urged to ensure adequate infrastructure, such as transmission lines , to integrate and transport electricity generated from offshore renewable energy.

Members stressed the importance of modern, sustainable and innovative seaports for the assembly, manufacture and maintenance of offshore renewable energy equipment and the considerable investment needed to upgrade port infrastructure.

Member States' maritime spatial planning plans should be compatible with future developments and should ensure that offshore energy infrastructure can co-exist with shipping lanes, the fishing industry, traffic separation schemes, anchorage areas, naval access and activities and port development.

The report welcomed the Commission's proposal for a revision of the TEN-E regulation and the attention it gives to the needs and priorities of the offshore renewable energy sector. It stressed that the development of sustainable and efficient hybrid and radial offshore wind assets for generation, interconnection and transmission requires forward-looking public and private planning and investment. Regulatory frameworks should facilitate forward-looking investments.

Members also noted that electricity and direct heating and offshore renewable energy can contribute to the greening of all electricity end-uses, with a consequent reduction and eventual elimination of greenhouse gas emissions.

Research on multi-purpose interconnectors and their development as well as research and development on floating wind, tidal, wave and tidal turbine stations should be supported.

Marine spatial planning permits and plans

Members noted the current lengthy process for the development of marine renewable energy projects and the urgent need to speed up this process to meet the 2030 and 2050 goals. They called on Member States to put in place a transparent process and to consider introducing time limits for authorisation when fully complete dossiers have been provided, with a deadline for a decision. They stressed the importance of shortening procedures where necessary and of taking measures to ensure that deadlines are met.

Members also called for an alignment of maritime spatial planning with national energy and climate plans. The Commission is urged to put in place a simple monitoring framework to transparently report on the progress of offshore renewable energy deployment and to report to Parliament on whether offshore renewable energy deployment is on track.

Market conditions

The report called on the Commission and Member States to ensure the best possible framework conditions for a market-driven development of offshore wind energy. Pointing out that uncertainty about the distribution of costs and benefits is deterring companies from launching marine renewable energy projects, Members called on the Commission to speed up the publication of EU guidelines on the sharing of costs and benefits of offshore hybrid projects .

Members also called for a review of the current regulatory framework governing EU electricity markets to facilitate the uptake of marine renewable energy and to remove artificial market barriers, fixed prices, subsidies and other mechanisms that distort the market and prevent further successful integration of marine renewable energy.

Lastly, stressing that marine renewable energy will play a key role in accelerating the production of renewable hydrogen , Members believe it is necessary to support research and development to encourage the industry to adopt renewable hydrogen in the market through large-scale commercial projects.

Documents
2021/11/30
   EP - Vote in committee
2021/07/07
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2021/06/30
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2021/06/21
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2021/06/09
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2021/03/11
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2021/03/01
   EP - MARINESCU Marian-Jean (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in TRAN
2021/02/23
   EP - CHABAUD Catherine (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in PECH
2021/02/01
   EP - PETERSEN Morten (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in ITRE

Documents

Activities

AmendmentsDossier
415 2021/2012(INI)
2021/04/26 PECH 66 amendments...
source: 691.391
2021/05/17 TRAN 64 amendments...
source: 692.840
2021/07/07 ITRE 285 amendments...
source: 693.908

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

forecasts/0/title
Old
Indicative plenary sitting date
New
Debate in plenary scheduled
docs/4
date
2021-12-06T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2021-0339_EN.html title: A9-0339/2021
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
body
EP
events/2/summary
  • The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted an own-initiative report by Morten PETERSEN (Renew Europe, DK) on a European strategy for marine renewable energy.
  • A key element of the green transition
  • The report stressed that tackling climate change with the take up of offshore renewable energy is essential to achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and meeting the EU's commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest. The Commission is urged to make offshore renewable energy and other relevant energy technologies essential components of the European energy system by 2050 .
  • Members recalled that, according to the Commission, the targets for energy production from offshore renewable energy in all EU sea basins are at least 60 GW by 2030 and 340 GW by 2050 and that the installed capacity of offshore wind should be 70-79 GW to ensure a cost-competitive transition to a 55% reduction by 2030. The report called on Member States and the public and private sectors to go beyond the 55% reduction target by 2030 .
  • Members called on the Commission to revise public procurement and state aid rules to ensure a cost-competitive transition, supported by a well-functioning market that encourages the take-up of offshore wind. In this respect, they noted that there are areas where offshore energy potential remains largely untapped, such as the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Seas.
  • The Commission is invited to carry out an impact assessment that clarifies the economic and socio-economic impacts of offshore renewable energy, focusing on existing and new jobs created by the deployment of 300-450 GW of capacity by 2050 .
  • Infrastructure and networks
  • The report highlighted the urgent need to improve and expand existing infrastructure to allow for the increased use of electricity from renewable energy sources. The Commission and Member States are urged to ensure adequate infrastructure, such as transmission lines , to integrate and transport electricity generated from offshore renewable energy.
  • Members stressed the importance of modern, sustainable and innovative seaports for the assembly, manufacture and maintenance of offshore renewable energy equipment and the considerable investment needed to upgrade port infrastructure.
  • Member States' maritime spatial planning plans should be compatible with future developments and should ensure that offshore energy infrastructure can co-exist with shipping lanes, the fishing industry, traffic separation schemes, anchorage areas, naval access and activities and port development.
  • The report welcomed the Commission's proposal for a revision of the TEN-E regulation and the attention it gives to the needs and priorities of the offshore renewable energy sector. It stressed that the development of sustainable and efficient hybrid and radial offshore wind assets for generation, interconnection and transmission requires forward-looking public and private planning and investment. Regulatory frameworks should facilitate forward-looking investments.
  • Members also noted that electricity and direct heating and offshore renewable energy can contribute to the greening of all electricity end-uses, with a consequent reduction and eventual elimination of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Research on multi-purpose interconnectors and their development as well as research and development on floating wind, tidal, wave and tidal turbine stations should be supported.
  • Marine spatial planning permits and plans
  • Members noted the current lengthy process for the development of marine renewable energy projects and the urgent need to speed up this process to meet the 2030 and 2050 goals. They called on Member States to put in place a transparent process and to consider introducing time limits for authorisation when fully complete dossiers have been provided, with a deadline for a decision. They stressed the importance of shortening procedures where necessary and of taking measures to ensure that deadlines are met.
  • Members also called for an alignment of maritime spatial planning with national energy and climate plans. The Commission is urged to put in place a simple monitoring framework to transparently report on the progress of offshore renewable energy deployment and to report to Parliament on whether offshore renewable energy deployment is on track.
  • Market conditions
  • The report called on the Commission and Member States to ensure the best possible framework conditions for a market-driven development of offshore wind energy. Pointing out that uncertainty about the distribution of costs and benefits is deterring companies from launching marine renewable energy projects, Members called on the Commission to speed up the publication of EU guidelines on the sharing of costs and benefits of offshore hybrid projects .
  • Members also called for a review of the current regulatory framework governing EU electricity markets to facilitate the uptake of marine renewable energy and to remove artificial market barriers, fixed prices, subsidies and other mechanisms that distort the market and prevent further successful integration of marine renewable energy.
  • Lastly, stressing that marine renewable energy will play a key role in accelerating the production of renewable hydrogen , Members believe it is necessary to support research and development to encourage the industry to adopt renewable hydrogen in the market through large-scale commercial projects.
forecasts/0/date
Old
2022-01-17T00:00:00
New
2022-02-14T00:00:00
docs/4
date
2021-12-06T00:00:00
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2021-0339_EN.html title: A9-0339/2021
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
body
EP
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events/2
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2021-12-06T00:00:00
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Committee report tabled for plenary
body
EP
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Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament's vote
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2021-11-30T00:00:00
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Vote in committee
body
EP
forecasts/0/date
Old
2021-11-10T00:00:00
New
2022-01-17T00:00:00
docs/3/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/ITRE-AM-693908_EN.html
docs/3/date
Old
2021-07-06T00:00:00
New
2021-07-07T00:00:00
forecasts
  • date: 2021-11-10T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
docs/3
date
2021-07-06T00:00:00
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Amendments tabled in committee
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docs/2
date
2021-06-30T00:00:00
docs
title: PE691.281
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TRAN
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Committee opinion
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Committee Opinion
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Transport and Tourism
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TRAN
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False
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name: MARINESCU Marian-Jean date: 2021-03-01T00:00:00 group: Group of European People's Party abbr: EPP
committees/1
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Committee Opinion
body
EP
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Transport and Tourism
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TRAN
associated
False
rapporteur
name: MILAZZO Giuseppe date: 2021-03-01T00:00:00 group: Group of European People's Party abbr: EPP
docs/1/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PECH-AD-689780_EN.html
docs/1/date
Old
2021-06-16T00:00:00
New
2021-06-21T00:00:00
docs/1
date
2021-06-16T00:00:00
docs
title: PE689.780
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PECH
type
Committee opinion
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docs/0/docs/0/url
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  • date: 2021-06-09T00:00:00 docs: title: PE693.604 type: Committee draft report body: EP
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  • body: EC dg: Energy commissioner: SIMSON Kadri
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ERNST Cornelia
group
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abbr
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procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
  • ITRE/9/04979
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision