The Renewable Energy Directive III and the streamlining of environmental procedures: a paradigm shift in EU environmental policy?

In an increasingly polarised political landscape, advancing a transnational European agenda - such as the energy transition - is no easy task. More than ever, major renewable energy projects risk being delayed or even stopped by public opposition or changes in the administration, as we are witnessing on the other side of the Atlantic.

In his latest publication, ECOAMARE researcher Alessio Devis explores how the EU is addressing this challenge. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis, the EU has shifted away from traditional legal instruments, such as pre-authorisations and prohibitions.

Instead, it now relies on streamlined ‘design techniques’ that eliminate undesirable interventions and outcomes by pre-structuring decision-making pathways towards specific policy goals—a so-called “overriding public interest”—such as the energy transition.

But this is not just about energy. This regulatory approach spills over into other areas of environmental law. In his article, Alessio argues that the new Renewable Energy Directive could signal the beginning of a paradigm shift in EU environmental policy.

Read the full article here.