The EU Energy Policy on Renewables
According to the Belgium government, the European energy policy is based on four objectives, which have been included in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU):
• Ensure the functioning of the energy market;
• Ensure the security of energy supply in the EU;
• Promote energy efficiency and energy savings and the development of new and renewable forms of energy;
• Promote the interconnection of energy networks.
The EU aims to achieve these objectives within various policy areas. Energy is a cross-policy theme for the EU, and is a component of other policy areas as well, such as foreign policy, environmental policy, climate policy and competitiveness policy.
At the European Council on 22 May 2014, the following priorities were agreed on in order to achieve these objectives:
• Complete the internal energy market by the end of 2014 and develop interconnections between the energy networks so as to avoid a situation in which certain EU member states find themselves isolated from their energy networks;
• Invest in energy infrastructure in order to ensure security of energy supply in a sustainable manner and at affordable prices;
• Diversify energy supply and develop indigenous energy resources to ensure security of supply, reduce the EU’s external energy dependency and stimulate economic growth;
• Enhance energy efficiency.