The use of renewable energy sources is seen as a key element in energy policy, reducing the dependence on fuel imported from non-EU countries, reducing emissions from fossil fuel sources, and decoupling energy costs from oil prices. Directive 2009/28/EC on promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources established accounting criteria for the 2020 targets on renewable energy sources. SHARES The SHARES tool focuses on the harmonised calculation of the share of energy from renewable sources. The main benefit derived from the SHARES tool is that Member States are engaged to go through the exact same method in order to calculate the desired values. Its application prevents any irregularities from varying parameters and rules used in different calculation methods. Results of the completed SHARES exercises are available in our dataset RECENT PRESS RELEASES Share of renewables in energy consumption up to 15% in the EU in 2013 Share of renewables in energy consumption up to 14% in 2012 Share of renewable energy up to 13% of energy consumption in the EU27 in 2011 Share of renewables in the EU27 energy supply almost doubled between 1999 and 2009 Renewable energy contributed 10.3% of energy consumption in the EU27 in 2008 FOCUS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY Renewable energy – Statistics in focus issue number 44/2012 Renewable energy statistics – Statistics in focus issue number 56/2010 Renewable energy indicators – Data in focus issue number 30/2010 Renewable energy statistics 2005 – Data in focus issue number 19/2007 SHARES – ARCHIVES For complete calculation transparency reasons, older version of the SHARES tool and SHARES tool results are presented here. These results are now outdated as new data, including revisions in basic energy data transmitted by reporting countries, are taken into account in latest presented versions (see above). SHARES 2012 results SHARES 2012 detailed results SHARES 2012 manual SHARES tool 2012 The average share of electricity from renewable energy sources in the Community (2004-2011) SHARES 2011 results SHARES 2010 results SHARES 2010 application SHARES 2009 application