2.2. Belgium
In Belgium, the energy policy responsibilities are divided between the Federal Authorities and the three regions of Flanders, Walloon and Brussels, subject to the control of the Commission for the regulation of electricity and gas (CREG)
[40][16].
It should be noted that in 2017, Belgium spent 2.58% of its GDP on scientific and technological research. Therefore, the boundaries of competences between the regions and the federal state seem sufficiently outlined, but the energy policies of the individual regions are not uniform on the whole: Brussels has opted for a complex system of energy subsidies and investment incentives for companies; Flanders’ energy policy, on the other hand, is based on a quota system; and, finally, Wallonia has laid down obligations for new residential buildings which must be built according to a series of principles of eco-sustainability.
To support the development of renewable energy, several policies have been adopted in Belgium; thus, using the year 2005 as a starting point, in
Figure 103, the percentage growth in the consumption of energy from renewable sources in this country is depicted. There is an increasing monotonous trend from 2011 to 2018, with an average value of 1.75% and a minimum growth rate of 1.0% in 2013–2014. The last red column of the figure indicates the percentage to be reached in 2020 according to Dir. 2009/28/CE, which, for Belgium, is 13%, meaning that the actual gap is 3.8%.
2.3. France
The structure of the total primary energy supply (TPES) is still characterized by a high percentage of nuclear energy, where in 2014, it was still 44%, compared to 40% in 2004
[41][17], and in 2018, Eurostat still identified France as Europe’s main producer of nuclear energy (
Figure 114).
Figure 114. Nuclear energy in the EU—data for 2018. Source: Eurostat.
In France, nuclear energy is considered a source of clean energy with a low environmental impact
[42][18] and has allowed France great energy independence. However, a number of reasons
[41][17] led the French government to plan the decommissioning of nuclear power plants: in spring 2020, for example, the first of the two reactors at the Fessenheim nuclear power plant was shut down, and the ultimate goal is to shut down 14 nuclear reactors. According to the “programmation pluriannuelle de l’énergie” (PPE), the “weight” of nuclear power will have to drop to 50% of the electrical mix in 2035.
The PPE represents a decisive step for France because it sets the objectives for energy and climate for the next ten years and thus directs the country towards “coal neutrality” in 2050.
The target should be achieved through, for example, increasing the consumption of thermal energy from renewable sources by 40–60% compared to 2016 levels, from 218–247 to 155 TWh, and, at the same time, reducing emissions by 30% of greenhouse gases due to the combustion of fossil sources compared to the values recorded in 2016 (from 227 Mt of CO
2 to 322 Mt).
In
Figure 125, the percentage growth in the consumption of energy from renewable sources in this country is depicted. There is an increasing monotonous trend from 2011 to 2018, with an average value of 2.08% and a minimum growth rate of 1.3% in 2013–2014. The last red column of the figure indicates the percentage to be reached in 2020 according to Dir. 2009/28/CE, which, for France, is 23%, meaning that the actual gap is 4.4%.