EU legislation

The EU Biomass Action Plan (BAP) of December 2005 identified 32 key activities for boosting the bioenergy market (COM(2005)628final) . One of these key actions stated that “the Commission will encourage Member States to establish national biomass action plans (nBAPs)”. The Council of the European Union of 08-09 June 2006 in its conclusions clearly endorsed the BAP and particularly “invited Member States to develop or update national BAPs in response to the present conclusions”. The Council summit of 08/09 March 2007 in its conclusions endorsed novel strong targets for the RES sector for 2020. Meeting them will require further strong market deployment of bioenergy in all sectors. Initiated by DG-TREN, several meetings were organised already in July 2006, March 2007 and March 2008. For further information on these meetings please consult the Commission web site So far 5 nBAP were received by the Commission for ES, UK, NL, EE and IR. The Commission reported on the implementation of the nBAP in April 2009 (COM(2009)192). Lessons learned have been integrated in the RES Directive and in the template for national renewable energy action plans, especially regarding the plans for biomass supply and availability.

Directive on the Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources (2009/28/EC)

nBAPs from 5 member states will be useful as preparation of the National Renewable Action Plans for all renewables is requested by the new directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (2009/28/EC), recently published in the Official Journal. Article 4 of the Directive in dedicated for national action plans and Annex XII of the Directive contains requirements for harmonised template for nRAP.
Download the RES directive

Template for national renewable energy action plans (nREAP)

Directive 2009/28/ EC requires each Member State to adopt nREAP. These plans are to set out Member States' national targets for the share of energy from renewable sources consumed in transport, electricity and heating and cooling in 2020, taking into account the effects of other policy measures relating to energy efficiency on final consumption of energy, and adequate measures to be taken to achieve those national overall targets, including cooperation between local, regional and national authorities, planned statistical transfers or joint projects, national policies to develop existing biomass resources and mobilise new biomass resources for different uses, and the measures to be taken to fulfil the requirements of Articles 13 to 19 of Directive 2009/28/EC.In accordance with Directive 2009/28/EC, the Commission adopted a template for the national renewable energy action plans comprising the minimum requirements set out in Annex VI of the Directive. This template was issued on 30 June 2009.
Download the Template

Other EU documents

● Progress report on renewable electricity, biofuels and biomass action plans
● European Biomass Action Plan
● Commission's report on state of nBAP, March 2008
● EU Bio-energy plan? A Contribution to Reaching 2020 Renewable Energy Targets, Emmese Kottasz, EC, DG TREN

Many key documents related to the nREAP and the directive's reports will be published on the Transparency platform.