The Voice of Producers of Renewable Energies is speaking out clear and strong since 1999.

EREF first was engaged in the fight for clear and good promotion instruments on European level for Renewable electricity and had worked intensively on commenting the drafting and legislative process around the Directive 2001 /77/EC for the promotion of Renewable Energies in the internal electricity market. At that time the most successful system in Europe, the feed-in system for guaranteed premium prices for Renewables and for priority access to the grid was endangered to be phased out for a quota and certificate system which until today has not proven any obvious efficiency or force to bring down prices for new renewable technologies.
Since 1999 a lot of positive things have happened in Europe. The Renewable Energy Industry in general became an important market player, is the established guarantor to bring down harmful emissions especially CO2 emissions and thus helping Europe to come closer to its greenhouse gas reduction obligations. The story of success is still linked to a handful of European States. If all would copy successful systems such as in Germany, Spain, or countries with rapid increase such as in Portugal Europe would come much faster to an increase of Renewables in the overall energy mix. The European Commission modestly only aims since January 2007 for an overall global target of 20 % by 2020, but even that was just now refused by the European Energy council in its binding version.
EREF aims for a drastic change of politics and shift of paradigm towards renewables. In extrapolating the rapid sustainable success such as in Germany or Spain it is not unrealistic to reach 100 % of Renewables until 2050. But fiddling, half hearted governments, a weak European Commission and harsh dominance of energy oligopolies enjoying huge hidden and open subsidies cannot move towards anything close to ambition. So EREF will together with its partner associations from the renewable world continue to press for change and clarity – for the benefit of our children and the World Climate and security.