Microgeneration Outlook - Design for Micro-Combined Cooling, Heating and Power Systems - page 6

Fig. 3 Fundamental
challenges [ 22 ]

2.1 Connecting the Dots

Connecting the dots between all the pointed challenges and in spite of all the
differences among the states in the European Union, all of them have to solve three
main problems, shown in Fig. 3 :

￿ Environment/Sustainable development: limiting the environmental impact of

energy production, transport and use [ 23 ].

￿ Energy security/Security of supply: ensuring the reliability and continuity of

energy supply.

Internal market/Competition: a highly competitive internal energy market with
reduced energy prices for consumers (households, businesses).

￿

A holistic approach is helpful to see how all these challenges present in the
European energy sector interlink.

2.1.1 Environment/Sustainable Development

Environmental concerns are linked to the notion of sustainable development,
having a well-established tradition both internationally [ 24 ] 4 and at European level
[ 25 ], 5 with the purpose of “ promoting well-being of citizens now and in the future ”

4

The increase in environmental movements in the 1950s brought the concern for “ sustainable

development . However, it was not until 1987, when the United Nations released the Brundtland

Report (Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common
Future) that the notion of

”

development which
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs

“ sustainable development ” was firstly framed ( “

” ).

5

Since 1985, the ECJ sought the importance of environmental protection in Procureur de la

R es (See ECJ Case C-240/83).

Sustainable developments was first enshrined in the Maastricht Treaty (1992) and reinforced in the
Amsterdam Treaty (1997).

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