Renewable energy sources in the light of regulations of the Polish law and the European Union Law

Abstract

Renewable energy sources are an area which currently is raising an enormous interest of investors, state governments and international organizations. According to the strategy of the European Union, the participation of energy from renewable energy sources (RES) should be at the level of 20% by 2020. As a result of the European Union policies aiming at reaching intended goals, it became a necessity to adapt the existing legal systems, economic and political conditions in such a way as to not only increase the attractiveness of investing in renewable energy, but also to help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby to improve climatic conditions.

At the moment in Poland no separate legal regulation which considers widely defined issues related to renewable energy sources is functioning. The adoption of such a regulation may lead our country closer to the European countries, where such systems already exist, as well as may adjust our legislation to the European standards. Going ahead, to fulfill the current requirements, on 8 April 2014 the Council of Ministers adopted a draft law of the Act on renewable energy sources. Entering this act into force is the final step in the implementation of the EU directives on increasing the participation of renewable energy in the total energy consumption.