State, in terms of both RE support schemes and other aspects like planning procedures. 17 . The share of renewable energy sources increased by over 50% between 1997 and 2007. The indicative European target of a 12% share of renewable energy in gross inland consumption by 2010, however, was not achieved. 18 This was explained inter alia by the purely aspirational nature of the targets, and the ample discretion afforded to Member States in their implementation. 19 To improve the situation, the EU adopted a reform of its RE legislation in 2009 (Directive 2009/28/EC), operationalizing the binding EU target which had been agreed upon in 2007: a 20% share of RE sources in final energy consumption by 2020. The revised directive specified binding targets also at the national level, taking into account past progress and economic potential of each Member State. For Germany, the RE target was set at 18%. However, Germany – together with two other European countries in the joint “International Feed-In Cooperation” 20 – criticized that the directive provided an option to comply with the RE targets by using a quota-like system: tradable guarantees of origin(“Green Certificates”). 21 While this report will not go into detail regarding developments at the EU level and in EU Member States other than Germany, the dynamic outlined above shows the close link between the German dynamic and the legal framework introduced by the EU. Set of Goals The German RE policy finds its basis in a range of mid- and long-term targets on GHG emissions, energy demand and the share of RE, all of which are interrelated. For example, the GHG reduction target requires ambitious RE expansion. An absolute improvement of energy efficiency, in turn, can help achieve RE expansion targets by 17 Resch et al.(2007), p. 26. 18 Eurostat(2012); European Commission(2011). 19 Mehling et al.(2013), p. 29. 20 The International Feed-In Cooperation(IFIC) is a project of Germany, Spain and Slovenia. These countries see FiTs as the most effective and efficient policy to promote renewable electricity production; for more information, visit the IFIC website at http://www.feed-in­cooperation.org/wDefault_7/index.php. 21 This system of mutually recognized guarantees of origin had already been established by the 2001 directive, but it now acquired new relevance with the binding deployment targets. See also Mehling et al.(2013), footnote 19. 10