Development of the Sustainability Aspects of EU Energy Policy

Abstract

This chapter will examine and discuss the sustainability aspects of EU energy policy. This area of EU energy policy rests primarily on three main legs: promoting energy efficiency, promoting renewable energy and the EU emission trading scheme. In all these areas EU has adopted a thick and growing body of secondary legislation. This chapter will present the main components of these regulatory instruments and their development. In addition, examples of other EU sustainability measures in energy sector are also discussed. In all areas of action, the development has moved from voluntary soft-objectives to or towards binding targets.