Energy companies from across Europe are calling for a binding 2030 renewables target to be set to fill the current policy gap between 2020 and 2050.
Nine energy firms, including SSE in the UK, have signed a statement ahead of an EU meeting on Monday 3 December, which will discuss the European Commission's proposal 'Renewable energy: a major player in the European Energy Market' - which will form the basis for future EU policies on renewables.
The feeling of these companies is firm targets need to be set before 2050, or investment markets and energy companies won't be encouraged to progress on schedule, particularly during a difficult economic climate.
Bas Batelaan, head of European affairs at SSE, told Huff Post UK: "A binding 2030 renewables target would signal the long-term commitment of EU governments to the development of renewable energy.
"This is what companies like SSE need in order to keep making the investments that will drive technological improvements and bring down further the cost of renewables."
The eight firms banding together under what they call the Coalition of Progressive European Energy Companies are: The Coalition of Progressive European Energy Companies consists of EWE (Germany), Acciona (Spain), SSE
(United Kingdom), Eneco (the Netherlands), DONG Energy (Denmark), Public Power Corporation (Greece),
Sorgenia (Italy), EDP Renewables (Portugal) and Stadtwerke München (Germany).
NPowers's parent company RWE is also supportive of long term targets for emissions reductions.
A spokesman told Huff Post UK: "We consider the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to be the central and most important instrument for climate protection, but there needs to be real coherence between all policies and targets for future carbon emissions reduction, renewables and energy efficiency.
"We also believe that any European renewables target for 2030 should be accompanied by the full integration of renewables into the internal energy market, as well as real progress towards the harmonisation of support mechanisms that individual EU Member States introduce for renewable and low carbon technologies."