Despite the relatively high potential contribution of renewable energy sources (RES) to the energy mixes of the countries in Central Europe and the officially stated support for RES deployment, progress towards implementing that commitment has been slow. This article examines the content and coherence of support schemes for the promotion of RES adopted by the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. We argue that RES support schemes suffer from some weaknesses that are a function of the means by which renewable energy objectives were imported into the region. The preparations for accession to the EU encouraged a process of “policy transfer” of policies negotiated and designed elsewhere. Consequently, policies sometimes suffer from technical deficiencies, lack of political support, implementation and enforcement obstacles. The challenge now is to review the policies adopted during the transition period, rationalise their legal superstructure, and implement them in the context of well-developed strategic objectives with political and stakeholder understanding and support.
Agres Enerji Sistemleri San. Ve Tic. a.s., Interwind and Black & Veatch Corporation, Renewable energy country profile - Poland, version 0.6b. Country report for Project ‘Strategic Assessment of the Potential for Renewable Energy in the EBRD Countries of Operation, Stage 1’, 2003, Available online http://projects.bv.com/ebrd/profiles/Poland.pdf
2.
ArpasiM., Miért nem kell nekünk a geotermia?, 2003, (Manuscript).
3.
BaiA.LaknerZ.MarosvölgyiB. and NábrádiA.A biomassza felhasználása, Szaktudás Kiadó Ház, Budapest, 2002.
4.
BarótfiI., Biomassza energetikai hasznosítása, Energia Központ Kht, Budapest, 2002.
5.
BechbergerM., Czech Republic, in: ReicheD. (ed.). Handbook of Renewable Energies in the Accession States, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 2003, pp. 55–71.
6.
Black & Veatch Corporation, Strategic assessment of the potential for renewable energy in the EBRD countries of operation, Stage 1. Final Report, EBRD, Overland Park, 2003.
7.
BohoczkyF.Tanulmány részlet a megújuló energiaforrások hasznosáthatóságáról, a gazdasági lehetoségekrol (Manuscript), 2003.
DolowitzD. P. and MarshD., Policy transfer: A framework for comparative analysis, in: MnogueM.PolidanoC. and HulmeD. (ed.) Beyond the new public management: Changing ideas and practices in governance, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK and Northampton, MA, USA, 1998.
GierulskiK., Renewable energy sector in Poland. Current use and prospects. In: Renewable Energy in Poland - Technology, Market and Chances. Workshop of the Brandenburg Energy Technology Initiative, EC BREC, Gotz, 2002a.
12.
GierulskiK., Renewable Energy Sector in Poland. Current Political Trends, In: Renewable Energy in Poland - Technology, Market and Chances. Workshop of the Brandenburg Energy Technology Initiative, EC BREC, Gotz, 2002b.
13.
GulaA. and WyrwaAPoland. Country report, in: Proceedings of the CTI 4 Seminar “Climate Technology and Energy Efficiency - Challenges and Chances for Climate Technology”. CTI, Tutzing, 2003.
14.
HaasH.HuberCEichhamerW.LangnissO.LorenzoniA.MenanteauP.MorthorstP.-E.OniszkA.SchleichJ.SmithA.van SambeekEVassZ. and VerbruggenA., Summary of the 3rd ENER Forum: How to promote renewable energy systems successfully and effectively, in: ENER Forum 3. Successfully Promoting Renewable Energy Sources in Europe. ENER, Budapest, 2002.
15.
HolubP., The Eastern Promise. Report on the EU Renewable Electricity Directive in the Czech Republic, WWF International, Gland, 2004.
Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport, A magyarországi zöld áram helyzet. Alternatívák és hatásaik In: Actions to promote renewable energy: Opportunities and challenges. Role of the public administration, distributed conference material, Budapest, 2004a
18.
Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport, A Nemzeti Energiatakarékossági Program, Megújuló Energiahordozó Strategia és a 2004. évi pályázatok, in: Actions to promote renewable energy: Opportunities and challenges. Role of the public administration, distributed conference material, Budapest, 2004b
19.
IEA, Renewables information 2002, with 2000 data, OECD/IEA, Paris, 2002.
20.
IEA, Energy policies of IEA countries: Hungary 2003 review, OECD/IEA, 2003a.
21.
IEA, Key World Energy Statistics, OECD/IEA, Paris, 2003b.
22.
KaszaG., The Eastern Promise. Report on the EU Renewable Electricity Directive in Hungary, WWF International, Gland, 2004.
23.
LauberV., REFIT and RPS: Options for a harmonised Community framework, Energy policy, 2004, Vol. 32, No. 12, pp. 1405–1414.
24.
LópezG, Five reasons to avoid a single feed-in tariff (manuscript), pre-accession advisor at the Energia Közpönt, Budapest, 2003.
25.
MenanteauP.FinonD. and LamyM.-L, Prices versus quantities: Choosing policies for promoting the development of renewable energy, in: ENER Forum 3. Successfully Promoting Renewable Energy Sources in Europe, ENER, Budapest, 2002.
26.
NV Consultants, Interwind and Black & Veatch International, Renewable energy country profile, Version 0.6b. Hungary - Country report for Project ‘Strategic Assessment of the Potential for Renewable Energy in the EBRD Countries of Operation, Stage 1’ [on-line], 2003, Available online http://projects.bv.com/ebrd/profiles/Hungary.pdf
27.
PálG., Obstacles and potential for grid connected RES-E implementation in Hungary, in: REPROMO Seminar, REPROMO, Budapest, 2003.
28.
PálG., Budapest University of Economics and Public Administration. Interview with the authors on 24 February & pers. comm, 2004.
29.
PálfyM., Megújuló technológiák környezeti hatásai: Fotovillamos technológiák, Energia Központ Kht, Budapest, 2000.
30.
PHARE Twinning project, Green electricity - Documents, Energia Közpönt, Budapest, 2003a.
31.
PHARE Twinning project.Green electricity - Documents. Preliminary comments/suggestions provided by the short-term experts. WP 2: Green electricity, Energia Közpönt, Budapest, 2003b.
32.
Polish Council of Ministers, Development strategy of renewable energy sector, Polish Council of Ministers, Warsaw, 2000.
33.
REEEP (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership), Background papers - country profiles for the CEE countries, in: The regional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership Meeting. REEEP, Szentendre, 2003.
34.
ReicheD.Poland, in: ReicheD. (ed.). Handbook of Renewable Energies in the Accession States, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 2003, pp. 135–149.
35.
ReicheD.YotovaA.GeorgievV.LaumannsU.BechbergerM.KörnerS.Ürge-VorsatzD.KaszaG.LachKKrugM.KatinasV.SkemaR.FarrugiaR.SceriE.YousifE.ReicheD.DinicaV.ViglaskyJ.TomsicM.KetelhakeU. and LaumannsU., Handbook of renewable energies in the European Union II Case studies of all Accession States, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 2003.
36.
SoehlA. and Ürge-VorsatzD., Household appliance energy labels in CEECs: A policy analysis of Hungarian and Polish labelling policies and their effectiveness in removing market barriers to energy efficiency, in: Energy Efficiency in Liberalised Markets. Malente, Germany, 2003.
37.
Ürge-VorsatzD.MezL.MiladinovaG.AntipasA.BursikM.BaniakA.JánossyJ.NezamoutinovaD.BeranekJ. and DruckerG, The impact of structural changes in the energy sector of CEE countries on the creation of a sustainable energy path: Special focus on investments in environmentally friendly energies and impact of such a sustainable energy path on employment and access conditions for low income consumers, European Parliament, Luxembourg, 2003a.
38.
Ürge-VorsatzD.LachK. and KaszaGHungary, in: ReicheD. (ed.). Handbook of Renewable Energies in the Accession States, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 2003, pp. 79–99.
39.
VolpiFroggartA.BediE.HolubP.KaszaG.KvacB.ZowsikM. and Oniszk-PoplawskaA., The Eastern Promise. Progress report on the EU Renewable Electricity Directive in Accession Countries. WWF International, Gland, 2004.
40.
ZowsikM., Status of policies and financial mechanisms to promote RES in Poland, in: The Regional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) meeting, REEEP, Szentendre, 2003.
41.
ZowsikM., The Eastern Promise. Progress report on the EU Renewable Electricity Directive in Poland. WWF International, Gland, 2004.
