The impact of the directives promoting the use of energy from renewable sources and energy efficiency on Malta

Abstract

Traditionally, the discretion over energy supply as well as the conditions how energy is being produced have been closely linked to national sovereignty and fairly well established national policy models. Nevertheless, this thesis argues that the increasing European integration of energy policies during the last years constitutes the most recent and most significant 'task expansion' of the European Union (EU) which has substantially influenced the application of policy measures and instruments in the Member States. This thesis examines how far the EU has succeeded in encouraging the content, structure and style of energy policies in the Mediterranean island state of Malta to change towards reaching predefined EU wide targets. Using empirical evidence in the form of two important energy directives, namely the Renewable Energy Directive (2001/77/EC), its successor (2009/28/EC) and the Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy service (2006/32/EC) and their transposition into national legislation, a rather mixed pattern of change and adaptation can be observed, with some elements of national energy policy converging more rapidly (and through different causal pathways) than others. These findings are viewed from the perspective of Europeanisation theory, to provide a better understanding of the pathways and possible policy outputs. This research papers sets out primarily to build on research literature undertaken on how the evolving European Energy policy has influenced the application of selected energy efficiency and renewable energy policies as well as specific policy instruments in Malta. A study of renewable energy and energy efficiency policies and related instruments in Malta will be conducted in order to systematically assess and compare the patterns in policy options related to energy efficiency and the promotion of renewable energies in Europe's smallest Member State. Besides the direct impact of European policies on Malta's preferences and actions in the renewable energy field, this thesis argues that the level and intensity of Europeanisation largely depends on the institutional capacities of national actors as well as the existence of Community support mechanisms that facilitate change in national opportunity structures.