The European wind energy sector has called on EU energy ministers to define a binding renewable energy target for 2040 as soon as possible, arguing that the lack of a clear political signal threatens to stifle investment and weaken the bloc's industrial competitiveness.
The request was made by WindEurope , which believes that European energy policy needs to offer certainty beyond 2030 to sustain the pace of deployment of new wind and solar installations, consolidate local manufacturing and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The demand comes in a context marked by the volatility of international energy markets, the persistence of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the need to strengthen electricity production within the continent itself.
"Only a binding target for 2040, accompanied by concrete volumes of wind energy, can generate the investments that Europe needs. Capital seeks predictability and the market requires an unequivocal political signal," said Tinne van der Straeten, CEO of WindEurope.
The regulatory vacuum after 2030
The association points out that the current European target for 2030 has accelerated the deployment of renewable energy, boosted industrial investment, and helped to mitigate the impact of volatile international gas and other fossil fuel prices.
However, they warn that once that horizon is reached, there is still no political framework to guide long-term investment decisions.
For WindEurope, this uncertainty could affect project developers as well as manufacturers, suppliers, and financial institutions that need predictability to commit capital over the coming decades.
An industry that is asking for signs.
The wind energy sector has become one of the pillars of the European energy transition.
It currently supplies around 20% of the electricity consumed in the European Union and supports more than 440,000 jobs distributed across more than 250 factories .
In the last three years alone, the industry invested more than 15 billion euros in new manufacturing plants and industrial expansions within the continent.
According to WindEurope, preserving that manufacturing base requires long-term policies that allow the flow of investments to continue.
"Targets work. They are the signal that investors, developers, and the entire supply chain need. When industrial capacity is lost, it is extremely difficult to recover it," Van der Straeten said.
More than a goal: a roadmap
The organization believes that a goal for 2040 should be accompanied by tools that allow the goals to be turned into concrete projects.
Among them, she mentions the need for national energy plans to translate into technology-specific auctions, as well as greater agility in the processing of permits, the promotion of the repowering of existing parks and the elimination of barriers to the development of bilateral power purchase agreements (PPAs).
The decision begins this week.
The request coincides with the debate to be held by the European Union's energy ministers on June 26 , a meeting considered strategic to begin outlining the post-2030 energy framework.
WindEurope argues that the decision goes beyond the climate issue.
In his view, setting a binding target for 2040 will mean deciding whether Europe continues to invest in increased domestic renewable electricity production or whether it puts on hold the investments needed to consolidate its energy and industrial leadership.