BENEFITS AND COSTS SHARING THROUGH RES ELECTRICITY COOPERATION BETWEEN EUROPE AND THIRD COUNTRIES

European Union (EU) Renewable Energy Directive 2009 /28/EC, on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable energy sources (RES), establishes a legal framework for cooperation between EU Member States nd third countries in joint projects, regarding electricity generation from RES . A prerequisite to the acceptability of the project is that the electricit y produced within the project must be consumed in the EU, enabling in parallel EU Member States to meet their 2020 RES targets in a more cost efficient way. Moreover, thi s may derive various potential benefits for both sides, including diversification f energy imports, knowledge and technology transfer, reinforcement of existing and new European relationships with third countries, new markets creation and business opportunities for European RES technology companies, as well as employment opportu nities for third countries. BETTER – “Bringing Europe and Third countries close r together through renewable Energies” initiative supported by the Intelligent E nergy Europe programme tries to address collaboration perspectives between EU and t hir countries on renewable energy. In this context, the main aim is to assess, through case studies, stakeholders’ involvement and integrated analysis, to what extent cooperation with third countries may help Europe achieve its RES targets in 2020 and beyond, by triggering the deployment of RES electricity projects in third cou ntries, creating synergies and as a result win-win circumstances for all involved parti es. The case studies focusing on North Africa, the Western Balkans and Turkey invest igate in detail the technical, socio-economic and environmental aspects of RES coo peration. BETTER final outcome is a fine-tailored policy package, offering a concise representation of key outcomes, guidelines for practical implementation o f RES cooperation, action plans and policy recommendations reflecting regional spec ifics.