100+ NGOs send open Letter to the European Commission on hydropower
Posted on October, 20 2023
WWF, together with more than 100 other organisations, have sent an open letter to the European Commission on the role of hydropower in the deployment of renewable energies in the European Union. This letter is a response to the European Commission’s answer to a previous open letter earlier this year.
The response to the Commission’s letter came into being after the several NGOs noticed that their letter contained several inaccuracies and misconceptions. For the sake of transparency and on behalf of 100+ NGOs, we are making this reply an open letter as a reaction to some of the points raised in the letter on the hydropower potential in Europe and its environmental impacts.Based on the open letter sent on Friday October 20, we urge the European Commision:
- To ensure that no new hydropower projects in Europe receive EU financing, in particular through the Resilience and Recovery Facility respecting the do-no-significant-harm pledge.
- When reviewing Member States development plans designating renewable acceleration areas, closely monitor that any planned hydropower development is checked against the EU environmental legislation, including Article 4(7) of the Water Framework Directive.
Hydropower plant in Europe
© Shutterstock - Maxim Burkovskiy
Hydropower plant in Europe
© Shutterstock - Maxim Burkovskiy