Renewable energy policies in the European Union: expansion of competences for climate change mitigation

Abstract

In the past decades the European Union (EU) has actively promoted renewable energy sources (RES). However, according to Article 194 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU does not possess a legal right to determine national energy mix. The aim of the thesis is to examine the development of the EU’s renewable energy policy over time and assess the current state of affairs in the policy field. To do so, neofunctionalist approach combined with supranational governance theory is applied to the case. The document analysis of EU legislation complemented with secondary literature is used in the empirical part. The thesis concludes that spillover has occurred from climate policy, driven by international negotiations on climate change, to RES domain. The climate policy has begun to shape energy policy agenda. Moreover, the thesis finds out that the key reasons preventing the establishment of supranational governance in RES policy is Article 194 of the TFEU and the absence of homogenous interests in various interest groups across the EU.