The energy minister to the EU on the renewables directive: – We have stepped up the review

– In the letter to the energy commissioner, I have announced that we have stepped up the review of the directive and are working together with our EEA/EFTA partners to create a draft of an EEA decision, writes Aasland (Ap) in an SMS to Everything and Nations.

EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson wrote a letter to the Norwegian government in March. There she expressed her expectation that the renewables directive will be included in the EEA agreement by 13 August this year. If that doesn’t happen, Samson threatened that there could be countermeasures.

Norway and the other EFTA countries were also given until 13 May to respond to the European Commission on how the directive should be introduced. Aasland has not done that in the letter, according to them Everything.

Does not answer whether Norway meets the deadline

In the reply letter, Aasland writes, among other things, that Norway wants to continue energy cooperation with the EU, both through the EEA agreement and the energy policy dialogue, but he does not specifically answer whether Norway will comply with the introduction deadline in August.

– I am concerned that we take the time to make thorough assessments of the content and consequences of the regulations for Norway before the directive is incorporated into the EEA, including the need for any adaptations, writes Aasland to the Alting.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) has previously said that Norway will not be pressured to meet the deadline.

– A commissioner in the EU does not set a deadline for the Norwegian government. We decide that. We will take the time we think we need, Støre said in question time at the Storting in April.

Controversial energy package

The EU introduced the Renewable Energy Directive in 2018 as part of the EU’s fourth energy package, also known as the Clean Energy Package.

Four years later it was revised. It was then decided that EU countries should have covered 42.3 per cent of their energy needs from renewable sources by 2030.

In Norway, a proposal for the renewables directive was submitted for consultation in 2022. This resulted in over 7,000 consultation responses. No decision has yet been made regarding this.

The Renewable Energy Directive is one of eight directives and regulations in the fourth energy package. While the Labor Party is in favor of introducing this package, government partner the Center Party has said no.