The requirement for EU members to maintain a supportive framework for renewables is now underpinned by the Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC). In 2009, the 27 EU member states formally committed to green energy production targets as set out in the directive. The Renewable Energy Directive incorporates a mandatory target of achieving a 20% share of energy from renewable sources in overall EU gross final energy consumption by 2020. This overall commitment has been broken down into individual targets for each member state, taking into account existing levels of renewable energy production and the potential for growth. These national targets represent.
