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PRESS RELEASE

2008

	23. January	Dr. Nikos Vassilakos elected as new President of EREF On the occasion of EREF's annual General Assembly held on 15th April in Freising / Germany, Dr. Nikos Vassilakos has been unanimously elected new President of the European Renewable Energy Federation (EREF). He succeeds Peter Danielsson who's second term as President ended according to the Federation's statutes after four years of very successful work. Nikos Vassilakos has been actively engaged in EREF's activities since its foundation back in 2000 and served as its Vice President since 2004. His commitment to promoting renewable energies and his professional experience in the sector which he gained as Managing Director of Network Consulting Group, a highly specialised consultancy firm for national and international projects and scientific studies in the renewable energies sector, and in his position as Director of the Greek Association of Renewable Energy Producers, make him a most suitable person to take up this challenging position.	[ download ]

	23. January	The new Draft Directive on the promotion of Renewable Energies in Europe until 2020 EREF welcomes the new Draft Directive on the promotion of Renewable Energies in Europe until 2020 as a sound and good step forward to define the legal, administrative conditions, policies and targets to go beyond the current state of deployment of renewable energies in EU 27. EREF President Peter Danielsson: “The discussion process towards this decisive draft was long, intensive and partly tedious. The European Commission put committed Member States, independent Renewable producers and the whole RES industry back in the driver seat.” The Commission gave ample room for direct exchange of opinions with the Member States, the RES industry and the overall energy sector. Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and his team have our deep respect in managing this very difficult path towards a feasible result.	[ download ]

	08. January	EREF sees parts of the European Commission heading for high electricity prices, market concentration and obstacles for rapid deployment of renewables and hopes for review and reflection Peter Danielsson, EREF – President: “As long as the Commission continues to propose an EU 27-wide mandatory or virtual pseudo trade in its new Directive proposal for the promotion of Renewable Energies all other nice things in the same directive will just be paper tigers. What really is happening is an orchestrated death of the only successful systems in Europe to support renewables at reasonable prices.” The proposal just went into inter service consultation of the European Commission.	[ download ]


2007

	15. November	EREF urges Commission’s Head of Cabinets to drastically change priorities for the upcoming European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET) towards support to independent decentralised renewable energy deployment support and away from current pampering of oligopolies and unsustainable technologies	[ download ]

	10. October	Renewable Energy development “made in Europe” threatened by EU Commission’s plans On the 12th of October 2007 key national administrators and key Director Generals from the European Commission will meet in Brussels to discuss the current internal legislative project of the Commission for a framework directive on Renewable Energies in Europe until 2020.	[ download ]

	26. September	EREF deplores COFACE state aid decision of the European Commission in the case of nuclear power support On Tuesday, 25th of September the European Commission decided that the 610 million EUR export credit guarantee from the French export credit agency COFACE to French nuclear vendor Areva for the Olkiluoto-3 nuclear reactor in Finland does not constitute illegal state aid. EREF had launched a complaint against this deal and against the participation of the German Bayerische Landesbank. EREF can only deplore this decision by the European Commission. It is a dramatic contradiction of constant previous decisions by the Commission and the European Courts in respect to export guarantees in intra Community trade.	[ download ]

	31. May	EREF filed annulment action concerning illegal state aid to Finnish Nuclear EREF filed annulment action against the European Commission on questions on illegal state aid in connection with the financing of the Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto of the electricity company TVO. "Nuclear power plants can not be built under normal economic framework conditions. They need a multiplicity of aids, not only open subsidies but hidden ones as well. High subsidies, cheap credits, national export credit guarantees and immunity from liabilities for the nuclear power industry lead to a market distortion and a discrimination of the Renewable Energies. The only presently existing construction of nuclear power plants in Finland is a descriptive example of this". This is the position of Dr. Doerte Fouquet, representing EREF, the European Renewable Energies Federation and senior lawyer of the law firm of Kuhbier Sprl.	[ download ]

	09. February	Binding Sectoral Targets for Renewables needed - EU Mid-February Council must show courage - for renewables, for the environment and for jobs in Europe Renewable energy is the prime solution for the European quest for energy security, reduction of energy import dependency, climate protection, sustainability, industrial and technology leadership, economic growth and fulfilment of Europe´s Lisbon strategy. EREF welcomes that the preparatory meeting for the Mid February Energy Council made it clear that many countries rethink on indicative sectoral targets and ending the attempt of the European Commission for a global target approach. EREF hopes the February Energy Council will show courage and will vote for binding sectoral targets for renewables until 2020 and vote for maintaining the current set of legislation for Renewable Electricity and for biofuels but to amend and improve them concerning the time after 2010 and will demand from the Commission to come up with a proposal for a RES-Heat/Directive Directive still before summer break this year We do not believe that the Commission´s proposal for an overall global target is sufficient as long as it is not underpinned by sectoral targets for renewable electricity (RES) and renewable heating and cooling as well.	[ download ]

	25. January	EREF - 2006 ⁄ 2007 Price Report on renewable electricity prices in Europe published Well-designed feed-in support schemes and clear sectoral targets are sole guarantor for swift increase of renewables and decrease of prices.	[ download ]
		EREF - 2006 ⁄ 2007 Price Report	[ download ]

	10. January	EREF sees discussion floor opened by EU Commission´s publication of energy package EREF hopes and works towards intensive discussion with all EU institutions and the German current EU presidency on the published Energy Package of the European Commission.	[ download ]


2006

	24. November	EREF welcomes the adoption of the report on the EU Energy Strategy by the European Parliament´s Energy Committee EREF highly welcomes the approval of the report on the EU Energy Strategy by the Energy Committee (ITRE) of the European Parliament which emphasises the necessity for setting obligatory and sectoral targets for the use of renewable energy sources in future European energy policy.	[ download ]

	24. October	The EREF welcomed today´s decision by the European Commission to respond to part of the federation´s complaint to open a full state aid investigation into French export guarantees for the construction of a new nuclear reactor in Finland. However EREF President Peter Danielsson said the federation was disappointed that the Commission took nearly two years to launch the investigation and still will not examine other important aspects of the federation´s December 2004 complaint.	[ download ]

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