ENFANTS TERRIBLES

GRAPH 9: Split of renewable energy sources. Source:
our own calculations based on approved Operational
Programmes according to categories of intervention
wind
solar
biomass
other(hydroelectric, geothermal, renewables integration)
CZ HR EE HU LV LT PL SK RO
Amount in euro
CZ HR EE HU LV LT PL SK RO
wind 0 0 0 0 0 1.158.480 173.796.628 0 0
solar 0 35.000.000 0 251.924.086 0 1.158.480 369.635.520 65.750.000 0
biomass 32.867.524 60.000.000 9.574.468 364.062.731 26.597.247 326.971.911 283.651.499 55.270.000 85.308.511
other 20.571.859 0 0 259.966.814 0 579.240 111.845.339 47.980.000 9.478.723
(hydroelectric, geothermal, renewables integration)
Renewable Energy
Sources total 53.439.383 95.000.000 9.574.468 875.953.632 26.597.247 329.868.111 938.928.986 169.000.000 94.787.234
In order to be considered genuinely renewable, biomass
must be sourced locally and sustainably. However, stringent
sustainability criteria for each planned biomass project
have largely not been adopted by Member States in their EU
funds’ implementation framework, thus the sustainability of
supported biomass projects is not guaranteed.
EU funds are also still being earmarked for fossil fuel
industries (Graph 10):
Apart from allocations for the gas sector, countries
plan to support combined heat and power plants (CHP,
‘cogeneration’) based on coal, for example by ‘modernising’
or upgrading the plant to add and co-fire biomass. For the
modernisation of heating systems, it will be possible to get
financing to exchange old coal boilers with coal-based ones
that simply emit less CO 2
and other pollutants. Whereas the
European Union calls for the elimination of Environmentally
Harmful Subsidies 20 , including in the Cohesion Policy, this
support for coal and gas through the back-door locks
countries into fossil fuel dependency, and impedes, delays
and obstructs the transition to clean sustainable energy
systems.
It is business-as-usual in the transport sector - most of the
countries spend around 50% of funds on roads, while rail
receives generally less (Graph 11). Sustainable urban and
regional transport is slated to receive little more than in the
2007-2013 period. Airport extensions (Croatia, Estonia) are
still financed by EU funds.
Transport is still responsible for 25% of EU greenhouse gas
emissions, and contributes significantly to air pollution,
noise and habitat fragmentation. EU transport-related GHG
emissions have all increased since 1990, currently 20.5%
16
‘Climate’s enfants terribles: how new Member States’ misguided use of EU funds is holding back Europe’s clean energy transition’