Renewable Energy Sources : Towards an Internal Market?

Speakers:  
Mr Johannes Teyssen, E.ON board member and CEO of E.ON Energie. 
Mr Joerg Gundel, Professor for Public, International and European Law, University of Bayreuth
Mr Christoph Gatzen, Institute of Energy Economics, University of Cologne

Renewable energies have an important role to play in Europe and in the world: they are an important means of delivering a low carbon economy and tackling climate change. Besides, they contribute to a diverse and sustainable energy mix. Therefore, it is surely necessary to continue supporting their further expansion. At the same time, the EU is developing towards an internal energy market, which will be the legal framework also for the further promotion of renewables.

The Commission is currently working on an evaluation of support schemes for renewable energies existing in EU member states due to be published until end October. Against the background of this report this event should launch a wider debate on how support for renewable energies can be organized in a manner compatible with the principles of the internal electricity market. Also the question was asked whether a more efficient way to promote renewable energies could lie in the introduction of Community-wide instruments to this end.

Contributions from two experts on the legal and economic aspects of these issues were supplemented by an overview of E.ON’s current activities in the renewables field from Mr Teyssen, CEO of E.ON Energie.