More than 140 participants joined the conference “rescuing Europe from energy dependency: the role of renewables” organised by the EU renewable energy industry on Monday 22 September, which gathered representatives from EU institutions, as well as energy experts from the IEA and the renewable energy sector. The security of energy supply crisis faced by the EU today makes the need to strengthen the development of renewable energy sources urgent. Combined with energy efficiency measures, they represent the only sustainable way to increase EU energy independency, tackle climate change, and strengthen our economy. This requires, among other things, an ambitious EU renewable energy target distributed in national legally binding targets among Member States. Source: Statement by the European Biomass Association (AEBIOM), Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centers (EUREC), European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF), European Small Hydropower Association (ESHA), European Solar Thermal Electricity Association (ESTELA) and the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC)