Renewable Energy in Artificial Land Surfaces

2026-07-22

The Renewable Energy Directive requires Member States not only to speed up and streamline the renewable energy permitting process, but also to prioritise artificial and built surfaces. While the current permitting streamlining focuses more on selected process-related permitting elements, which are most responsible for the permitting delays, barriers related to site selection or spatial planning receive less attention. These barriers are especially relevant for artificial lands, which are often deprioritised over green field investments. Their competitive disadvantage is reflected not only in more complex permitting procedures but also in higher investment costs. To address these problems, the overall objective of LIFE REALS is: “By 2028, permit-granting authorities and related governmental bodies in 5 target countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Ukraine) have sufficient knowledge and capacity to overcome administrative permitting barriers, market constraints and ensure social inclusion related to onshore wind and solar deployment on artificial land surfaces, with results extended beyond target countries in at least 7 EU Member States.” This will be achieved through the following main specific objectives: • A credible, integrated knowledge base will provide spatial data and policy analysis of permitting, market, and social-related barriers, best practices, and recommendations on wind and solar deployment on artificial land surfaces. • Public authorities in the target countries and at least in 7 other Member States will increase their knowledge and capacity by participating in national and European-level expert groups, training series, and an online knowledge hub. • Other relevant decision makers in the target countries and beyond will be better informed towards streamlining permitting and prioritising artificial lands in renewable investments. • Increased awareness of 1 million citizens for low-conflict energy transition.

Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Spain, Ukraine, Belgium

2026-01-01