New Report: Average EU Member State transposition of permitting rules for renewables falls short at just under 50 percent

EU countries continue to fall short on enacting key permitting reforms necessary to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. Despite a clear EU framework that simplifies renewables permitting processes, transposition among Member States remains incomplete, and actual on-the-ground progress is so far limited.

The EU’s Revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII) entered into force on 20 November 2023, laying out a minimum binding target of at least 42.5 percent for renewable energy deployment by 2030. To achieve this goal, the directive includes specific measures to expedite the granting of permits for renewable energy projects. Member States were set a deadline of 30 June 2024 to transpose the directive’s permit-granting elements into their national law. While some good practices have emerged, more than a year since the final transposition deadline, the enactment of streamlined permitting procedures is still lagging.

The report has highlighted the following key issues that persist under the Revised Renewable Energy Directive:

1. Permitting timelines are not speeding up – risking non-compliance with the deadlines laid out in REDIII.
2. Acceleration areas have caused confusion, leading to overly complex and burdensome processes, and have even led to the creation of no-go areas in some Member States.
3. Simplified permitting for solar on artificial surfaces is often overlooked, resulting in major missed opportunities to meet energy needs
4. The principle of overriding public interest is not being implemented on the ground for solar PV projects.

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Lina Dubina, Policy Advisor for Sustainability at SolarPower Europe (she/her) said: “Now is the time to accelerate solar permitting to drive the rollout of renewables, phase out fossil fuels, and strengthen Europe’s energy security and competitiveness. We urge the European Commission to work closely with Member States to turn legislative ambition into real on-the-ground progress. The EU’s permitting rules are fit for purpose. What’s needed is clear guidance on implementing Renewable Acceleration Areas and the Overriding Public Interest principle, along with targeted funding to boost capacity and training for local permitting authorities.”

National transposition is evaluated using nine key indicators covering a range of planning and permitting measures. Since the publication of SolarPower Europe’s RES Booster report in 2023, an increase has been recorded in six out of eight measures (excluding RES mapping which was not included in the last report). As of publication, just under 50 percent of the measures assessed have been transposed at the national level.

The analysis also reveals wide disparities in EU Member States efforts to streamline permitting for renewable energy projects. Italy, Romania, and Slovenia stand out for strong performance, having transposed or begun transposing into law 78 percent of the key measures aimed at accelerating renewables planning and permitting. At the other end of the scale, Latvia shows the lowest transposition rate at just 13 percent, with France, Croatia, the Netherlands, and Slovakia following at 22 percent. Nevertheless, the high transposition rates seen in some Member States do not necessarily translate into effective implementation on the ground.

Dries Acke, Deputy CEO of SolarPower Europe (he/him) said: “Policymakers expect rapid renewables acceleration to meet the EU’s 2030 target, but permitting remains a major bottleneck. Securing all the necessary approvals to build and connect solar projects is still too slow and complex. This updated report shows that many Member States continue to lag in fully and promptly implementing EU permitting rules (RED III). Even where legal frameworks exist, they often don’t function effectively in practice. We call on the European Commission to prioritise implementation and ensure EU funds are strategically directed to strengthen local permitting authorities.”

The streamlining of permitting procedures is crucial to the successful deployment of renewable energy across Europe and the transition to clean energy. To ensure the effective implementation of these provisions, coordination is necessary at the EU and national levels. In light of the findings of this report, SolarPower Europe has proposed a set of policy recommendations. The European Commission should:

1. Prioritise the implementation of existing EU rules rather than pursuing deregulation.
2. Support Member States in the timely implementation of RED III permitting provisions.
3. Help Member States to introduce RES targets at the regional level.
4. Assist Member States in harmonising measures to fast-track permitting processes.
5. Facilitate knowledge-sharing and best practice exchange among Member States.
6. Support the development of clear, publicly accessible guidelines for IROPI.
7. Provide dedicated funding and training of regional and local authorities involved in permitting.
8. Promote simplified and harmonised permitting procedures for innovative solar technologies.
9. Provide simplified and harmonised permitting processes for hybrid RES projects.

Source: SolarPower Europe