This Study on legal and regulatory barriers for the clean energy transition on Greek islands is the result of a consultative process. Based on an inventory of the current legislation and information gathered via surveys and interviews, the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat has brought together relevant stakeholders to identify barriers to the clean energy transition on Greek islands, and formulated recommendations to overcome them.

The Irish islands have been frontrunners in the energy transition. Multiple community-led renewable energy projects have been developed on islands such as the Aran islands, Cape Clear and Bere island. Several actions taken by the Irish national government have contributed to this objective, for example, an uplifted grant for islands within the energy efficiency programmes, that allows inhabitants on islands to get 50% more funding. Nonetheless, several challenges for the clean energy transition on the islands remain.

Estonia has recently implemented national measures to facilitate the energy transition on the Estonian islands. However, several major challenges remain. Based on an inventory of the current legislation, the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat carried out surveys and interviews to identify the barriers to clean energy deployment and the solutions to overcome those. These findings were discussed with all relevant stakeholders in two focus group meetings and a national stakeholder meeting (NSM). The results of that process are described in this booklet.

Croatia and its island stakeholders have been very active on the European level in bringing to focus the agenda of the energy transition of the islands. In the past two years, the national legislation was improved by the creation of a framework for energy transition which include the islands. However, challenges to the implementation of energy transition still remain.

National and regional policy initiatives have been recently implemented in Spain to facilitate the energy transition of the Spanish islands. However, several major challenges remain, as described in this study. Based on an inventory of the current legislation and information gathered via surveys and interviews, the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat has brought together all relevant stakeholders in two Focus Group meetings and a National Stakeholder Meeting to identify barriers to the clean energy transition on Spanish islands, and formulated recommendations to overcome them.

Islands face some of the most dramatic consequences of global warming and rising sea levels, including disproportionate biodiversity loss in comparison to the mainland. Islands can not only be pioneers for renewable energy but also on the of mitigation. They can be testing grounds for sustainability practices in various sectors such as clean energy, circular economy, smart mobility, waste management and the blue economy.

Islands face some of the most dramatic consequences of global warming and rising sea levels, including disproportionate biodiversity loss in comparison to the mainland. Islands can not only be pioneers for renewable energy but also on the of mitigation. They can be testing grounds for sustainability practices in various sectors such as clean energy, circular economy, smart mobility, waste management and the blue economy. 

After many months working closely with European island stakeholders, the final reports from the first round of Technical Assistance (carried out during 2021 and beginning of 2022) are now available. The EU islands secretariat offered support to European islands to further advance in the clean energy transition, through two calls for applications (Round 1 in April 2021 and Round 2 in March 2022).

This report is covering the Technical Assistance provided to the Island of Elafiti, Greece.

Although the recognition of citizen participation in the energy market in EU legislation through the new Clean Energy Package is still a recent concept, energy communities have been active in a number of EU countries for several decades now. This new legislation offers important opportunities to island communities wishing to transition to clean energy.

The EU Clean Energy Package published in 2019 provides a number of interesting opportunities for local communities – including islands – to take ownership of their energy transition. In order for island communities to be able to use these possibilities, national and regional policy-makers need to make smart decisions when writing the new EU rules into their own legislation. Good implementation can also strengthen the economies and energy systems of island communities, as well as democracy in the respective countries.