18. 9. 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 235/41 COUNCIL DECISION of 13 September 1993 concerning the promotion of renewable energy sources in the Community (Altener programme) (93/500/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 130s and 235 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Par- liament (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), Whereas, at their meeting on 29 October 1990, the Council (Environment and Energy Ministers) agreed that the Community and Member States, assuming that other leading countries would enter into similar commitments, and acknowledging the targets identified by a number of Member States for stabilizing or reducing emissions by different dates, were willing to take action aimed at reaching stabilization of the total CO, emissions by 2000 at the 1990 level in the Community as a whole and that Member States which start from relatively low levels of energy consumption and therefore low emissions measured on a per capita or other appropriate basis are entitled to have CO, targets and/or strategies correspon- ding to their economic and social development, while continuing to improve the energy efficiency of their economic activities ; Whereas, in its communication to the Council concer- ning a Community strategy to limit carbon dioxide emis- sions and to improve energy efficiency, the Commission _indicated the action the Community should take to limit CO, emissions ; " Whereas, at its meeting on 13 December 1991, the Council invited the Commission to put forward formal proposals for the adoption of measures as part of a Community strategy ; Whereas a significant increase in the use of renewable energy sources will contribute towards achieving the objective of stabilizing CO, emissions ; Whereas, pursuant to Article 130r of the Treaty, action by the Community relating to the environment should improve the quality of the environment and ensure a prudent and rational utilization of natural resources, objectives which are furthered by the use of renewable energy sources ; () OJ No C 179, 16. 7. 1992, p. 4. () OJ No C 176, 28. 6. 1993. () OJ No C 19, 25. 1. 1993, p. 7. Whereas the development of renewable energy sources can make a significant contribution to the reduction of polluting emissions arising from the consumption of fossil fuels ; Whereas the development of renewable energy sources will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and the danger of global warming; whereas wide-ranging international cooperation is therefore desirable in order to obtain significant results ; Whereas, since the Treaty does not provide for other powers to cover the energy aspects of the programme referred to in Article 2, Article 235 should also be invoked ; Whereas the Council resolution of 16 September 1986 concerning new Community energy policy objectives for 1995 and convergence of the policies of the Member States (%) states that the contribution of new and renewable energy sources to the replacement of traditional fuels should increase substantially, so that those energy sources can play a significant part in the overall energy balance sheet ; Whereas some renewable energy sources today occupy only a few market slots; whereas, if they are not yet competitive, this is to be explained in part by the fact that the present pricing system does not always take into account fully the ecological cost of the principal tradi- tional sources of energy ; whereas, in order to strengthen the future contribution of renewable energy sources to energy supplies, the Member States will have to avoid such distortions ; Whereas, by its recommendation of 9 June 1988 on developing the exploitation of renewable energy sources in the Community (), the Council confirmed in detail its desire to pursue a policy of developing renewable energy sources ; Whereas, when reviewing the progress made towards achi- eving the energy objectives for 1995 provided for in its resolution of 16 September 1986, the Council stated in its conclusions of 8 November 1988 that it attributed parti- cular importance to renewable energy sources for future energy supplies; Whereas the development of renewable energy sources and in particular the exploitation of biomass offer secon- dary economic advantages in terms of employment and keeping local populations in situ; () O] No C 241, 25. 9. 1986, p. 1. () OJ No L 160, 28. 6. 1988, p. 46.