EU needs to boost low carbon energy R&D

Research and development of non-nuclear low carbon energy technologies in Europe needs to be boosted through greater investment the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said.

Following a high level review of EU energy policy the IEA praised action taken by Europe to combat climate change, but noted that more money is spent on developing IT than clean energy.

IEA executive director Nobuo Tanaka handed President of the Commission Jose Manuel Barroso a copy of the review, which points out that energy R&D spending will be £4.14 billion by 2013 though the IT sector will get £7.31 billion.

The report also urges the EU to reallocate some of the funds committed to developing nuclear energy, claiming that the technology will only be useful beyond 2050.

The European Union's Strategic Energy Technology Plan allocates 40 per cent of the budget to nuclear energy research.

The Paris-based Agency said: "It will be important for the achievement of the EU climate change targets that this funding allocation is revised at the earliest possible opportunity, and that funding for non-nuclear energy research and development is increased significantly."