regulatory analysis

While islands are particularly vulnerable to climate change, they enjoy a naturally high potential of renewable energy sources to harness. Many islands have abundant renewable energy potential, which can be tapped to lead decarbonisation. However, access to reliable, clean and competitive sources of energy remains a main concern of island communities in the EU. Although it is often technically and financially possible to develop renewable energy projects on islands, legal and regulatory frameworks, whether EU, national, regional or local, are not always fitfor purpose.

In 2021 and 2022 the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat (the secretariat) conducted a study on the regulatory barriers affecting the clean energy transition of islands. This provided significant insights into the operation of the islands’ electricity systems and formulated recommendations to overcome existing challenges. Grid constraints and the lack of security of supply were identified as two of the key barriers to the decarbonisation of EU islands’ energy systems.

Innovative pilot projects on the Swedish islands are showing how the energy transition can be implemented, with the transport sector, in particular, leading the way to decarbonisation. Legislation has been broadly supportive of the decarbonisation of islands. However, challenges to the implementation of the energy transition still remain.

This Study on legal and regulatory barriers for the clean energy transition on Swedish 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 Swedish islands, and formulated recommendations to overcome them.

This Study on legal and regulatory barriers for the clean energy transition on Italian 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 Italian islands, and formulated recommendations to overcome them.

Italy has recently implemented national and regional policy measures to facilitate the energy transition on the Italian 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 result of that process is described in this booklet.

Drawing upon the regulatory inventory of the current legislation, the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat carried out surveys and interviews with Greek stakeholders to identify the barriers to the clean energy deployment on the islands 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 result of that process is 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.

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.