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DRAFT OPINION (COM(2025)1007 – C100341/2025 – 2025/0400(COD))

On the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives (EU) 2018/2001, (EU) 2019/944, (EU) 2024/1788 as regards acceleration of permit-granting procedures

ENVI-PA-786680

Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety · Rapporteur: Rasmus Nordqvist

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The rapporteur's draft opinion responds to the Commission's proposal to speed up permit-granting for renewable energy, electrification and grid projects. It agrees deployment must accelerate, but says most obstacles come from poor implementation of existing rules and national administrative bottlenecks. It accepts some Commission changes to environment and biodiversity rules, but asks for adaptations to respect the precautionary principle, nature protection law and Court case law. It asks to keep Member States' right to refuse overriding public interest status for certain renewables, make it optional for grids, reject the new definition of satisfactory alternative, and add safeguards to screening exemptions. It proposes that Member States map full renewable potential, use granular biodiversity data, and plan new capacity taking account of climate risks.

Committee position. The rapporteur agrees deployment must accelerate but says most obstacles stem from poor implementation and national bottlenecks. The rapporteur accepts some Commission changes to environmental rules, asks for adaptations to respect the precautionary principle and nature law, and proposes additional elements on mapping, biodiversity data and climate risk.

Key points

  1. The rapporteur agrees with the Commission that deployment of renewables, electrification and grids must accelerate to meet climate, environmental and energy goals.
  2. The rapporteur finds most obstacles come from insufficient implementation of existing Union rules and from administrative bottlenecks and governance issues at national and local level.
  3. The rapporteur proposes strengthening Commission-Member State dialogue, increasing technical and financial support and pressure on national authorities, and guaranteeing regulatory stability.
  4. The rapporteur accepts some Commission changes to environment and biodiversity rules, noting they target projects unlikely to have significant negative impacts.
  5. The rapporteur asks that Commission amendments on projects in special areas of habitats and species conservation be nuanced to respect nature protection law, Court case law and Commission guidance.
  6. Member States should keep the right not to grant presumption of overriding public interest to certain renewable technologies or territories; for grid infrastructure it should be optional, not presumed.
  7. The rapporteur rejects defining a satisfactory alternative as an almost identical project outside a special area of conservation, saying it deletes a precondition in nature protection law.
  8. Exemptions from environmental and biodiversity screenings for repowering are acceptable only with additional safeguards; exemptions for small projects need safeguards against project splitting.
  9. The rapporteur opposes discouraging Member States from restricting renewable deployment for environmental reasons, and instead suggests requiring objective, proportional and transparent environmental considerations in spatial decisions.
  10. Member States should consider full renewable potential, especially on roofs, artificial structures and degraded land; the Commission should provide geospatial data and analysis tools.
  11. Member States and grid operators should use granular biodiversity sensitivity data, identify measures to lower negative impacts and create biodiversity benefits, with Commission mapping tools and guidance.
  12. Planning of new renewable and grid capacity should consider growing climate risks, prioritise areas without significant hazards, and design projects to be resistant to or reduce hazards.

Who is affected

  • Member States: retain right to refuse overriding public interest status for certain renewables; must make spatial environmental considerations objective, proportional and transparent.
  • Grid operators: overriding public interest for grid infrastructure should be optional; must use biodiversity data and consider climate risks in planning.
  • The Commission: should strengthen dialogue with Member States, provide geospatial data, mapping tools and guidance to national authorities and network operators.
  • Project promoters: may face additional safeguards on screening exemptions and requirements to design projects resistant to climate hazards.