The Commission today published a ‘toolbox’ to support EU countries in promoting public inclusion in renewable energy projects. The toolbox aims to guide EU countries’ authorities in involving local communities and administrations more in the development of renewable energy projects.
A lack of public acceptance can delay, or even block, clean energy projects. Measures that help achieve public acceptance can make an important contribution to the effort to make permitting simpler and faster, hence accelerating the build-out of renewables. According to a Eurobarometer survey last year, 88% of respondents expressed support for EU action to increase renewable energy. Nevertheless, opposition to local clean energy projects still arises and can cause delays or even cancellation of projects, with spiralling costs as a result.
The toolbox offers different ways to ensure timely and accurate communication with local communities and authorities, including information on timing, procedural participation and trust-building measures. It also covers measures on financial participation and ways to share the benefits of the projects, such as lower household energy bills, community benefit funds or opportunities to invest.
The toolbox also sets out 8 key principles and conditions for effective public participation, with a catalogue of good practices in EU countries. It is designed to guide EU countries as they shape public participation to speed up renewable energy installations and create a homegrown energy system less dependent on imports from elsewhere. This principle is in line with EU’s objectives for a clean energy transition, particularly in the Renewable Energy Directive and AccelerateEU.
Examples of good practices include setting up facilitation services on renewables projects or providing positive incentives for public engagement.
Background
The toolbox on public participation was foreseen in the European Grids package of December 2025 as a means to exchange good practices and capacity building on how best to involve citizens and local authorities in renewables projects and provide better information of the shared benefits.