The chief executive of Energias de Portugal (EDP), one of Europe's largest renewable energy developers, has lambasted European Union member states for failing to implement promised reforms to speed up permitting for wind and solar farms. Speaking at an industry conference in Lisbon on Wednesday, the CEO warned that bureaucratic delays are undermining the bloc's ability to meet its 2030 climate and energy targets.
EDP's boss said that while the European Commission had introduced measures to streamline permitting processes, national governments had been slow to transpose them into domestic law. The result, he argued, is that many projects are stuck in administrative limbo for years, driving up costs and deterring investment. The comments echo frustrations voiced by other major developers, including Ørsted and Iberdrola, who have warned that Europe risks falling behind China and the United States in the race to build clean energy capacity.
The news comes as UK-listed renewable energy investment trusts and funds, which hold stakes in European wind and solar assets, have faced headwinds this year. The FTSE 100 closed 0.3% lower at 8,217 on Wednesday, with the FTSE All-Share Index down 0.2%. Among the fallers, Greencoat UK Wind fell 1.1% and NextEnergy Solar Fund dropped 0.8%, as investors digested the implications of slower European project rollouts. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets noted that while UK domestic renewables policy has improved, reliance on continental supply chains and project pipelines remains a risk for British pension funds with exposure to pan-European infrastructure funds.
The EDP chief's warning also highlights a broader tension within the EU: between ambitious renewable energy targets set in Brussels and the practical realities of planning law, grid connection queues, and local opposition in member states. Germany, France, and Spain have all introduced reforms, but implementation has been patchy. For UK investors, the situation matters because many large pension and insurance funds allocate capital to European renewable infrastructure as part of their net-zero transition strategies. Slower-than-expected buildout could affect returns and dividend payments from these assets.
Industry body WindEurope has previously estimated that up to 80 GW of wind energy projects are stalled across Europe due to permitting bottlenecks. Without faster action, the bloc's goal of 42.5% renewable energy by 2030 — agreed last year — looks increasingly challenging. The EDP CEO called on EU leaders to treat permitting reform as an 'emergency' and to hold national governments accountable for delays.