About the BAP driver project

Full title : Leveraging the development of national biomass strategies & action plans, based on a balanced assessment approach for policy makers

Acronym : BAP DRIVER

Contract N°: EIE/07/118/SI2.467614

Duration : 30 months, started in November 2007.

Budget : 1 278 003 €, 50% supported by the European Commission, Intelligent Energy for Europe programme, and 50% own funding by the partners.

Project summary :

The promotion of bioenergy is a top priority on the political agenda of the EU and most member states. However, the progress in terms of actual market deployment is still dissatisfactory until now. Many of the existing market barriers have their origin in insufficient policy frameworks on the national level, including:

• Ambitious, long-term biomass targets until 2010>2020
• Coherent, integrated biomass strategy (or roadmap)
• Concrete biomass action plan, including concrete political measures

In contrast to other RES, the bioenergy sector is characterised by specific advantages, but also difficulties. The challenge for policy makers to improve national policy frameworks in the biomass sector is therefore especially high. Recent policy initiatives at EU-level aim at overcoming these political barriers, including the European Biomass Action Plan (BAP). The process of developing country-specific BAPs represents a very good opportunity for national governments to re-assess and adapt their current strategy and policy framework for bioenergy promotion. To leverage these national processes is the starting point for the “BAP DRIVER” project.

The concrete, short-term objectives of the project can be summarised as follows:

• Enhance transparency & assess current biomass strategies & policy frameworks (incl. BAP) across the EU
• Exchange ideas, transfer knowledge & build capacities (“lessons learned” etc.) on biomass strategies & policy options, especially on specific key issues in the field
• Develop an operational guideline for development and monitoring of balanced national biomass strategies & action plans across the EU
• Contribute to national policy processes for development & monitoring of biomass strategies and action plans
• Communicate & disseminate project outcomes to target groups

National energy agencies and institutions from 8 EU member states (BE, DE, FR, GR, NL, PL, RO, SI), AEBIOM (with members in EU25 countries), eclareon (RES consultants) and various externally involved key actors build a European biomass policy group. This network is complemented by 4 thematic working groups on transnational key issues (optimal use of biomass, cost-effective support of bioenergy, sustainable production and use of biomass, energy from biogenic parts of waste) on the one hand, and national policy groups in each participating country on the other hand.

Key outcomes of the project, designed to leverage biomass policy & action plan processes, are:

• European best practice report
• Operational guideline for policy makers
• European and 8 national position papers

These outcomes are disseminated to target groups on the national (esp. governments) and European level (esp. EU Commission, biomass industry & networks), mainly via website, publications, national roundtables with key actors and workshops / seminars for policy makers and a European dinner debate.

Please contact the coordinator for more information.

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