Trends and drivers of change in the European energy sector: Mapping report

The energy sector is one of the central pillars of economic growth and competitiveness, and of social and territorial cohesion in Europe.[...] The signing of the Coal and Steel Treaty in 1951 and the European Atomic Energy Treaty in 1957 marked the significance of the energy sector throughout Europe. [...] In March 2007, one of the most important turning points in EU energy policies was made when the EU agreed on the legally binding targets of reducing greenhouse gases by 20% in 2020 and raising renewables' share of energy consumption to 20%, also by 2020. This was followed by a communication from the European Commission, '20 20 by 2020', released in January 2008.