Renewable Energy Sources as the Object of the EU Law

Abstract

Renewable energy sources are extremely important due to the fact that an increase of their share in energy balance of a state leads to decrease in consumption of nonrenewable energy sources. This is crucial for ensuring sustainable development, especially in the contemporary situation.The term «renewable energy sources» is used in the EU law terminology differently as in comparison to universal international treaties or the doctrine of international law In the EU the term is interpreted as renewable energy resources such as wind, solar energy, etc. The article focuses on the analysis of the EU legislation regulating activities of the EU Commission and Parliament, committees and programs (SAVE, ALTENER, STEER) related to the issue.Though the EU takes certain steps towards facilitation of renewable energy sources, the results are still insignificant due to several obstacles hindering the development in this direction. These are in particular legal obstacles leading to the lack of investment, technical barriers, and complexity of licensing procedures, non-transparency and excessive administrative regulation Economically, the task of increasing production of renewable energy sources can not be resolved in the middle term and thus, the consumption of the non-renewable energy sources is likely not to decrease until 2030.Nevertheless, analysis of the EU’s experience in regulation of the development of production of energy from renewable energy sources shows that it could be effectively used in Russia.