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For the first time ever the European Parliament has voted to create a dedicated budget line for wind energy research and development. Following today's vote, wind energy R&D should have its own 'symbolic' 1 million Euros EU budget line for 2012. "With this vote, the Parliament recognises that wind energy R&D needs its own budget line. It reinforces the value that investing in wind energy has to society in driving down the costs of a secure, reliable renewable energy system with huge job creation prospects."

"The decision has huge symbolic meaning. It creates a precedent for a dedicated financial allocation to wind energy R&D in the EU's 2014 - 2020 multi-annual financial framework", said Vilma Radvilaite, the European Wind Energy Association's Regulatory Affairs Advisor.

"We hope the EU will now go forward with its support for wind energy R&D and allocate a total of 1.3 billion Euros from 2014 - 2020 in its proposal for the multi-annual financial framework ", Radvilaite said.

During the current multi-annual framework wind energy R&D has been allocated around 20 million Euros under FP7 and 565 million Euros under the European Energy Programme for Recovery. The 'symbolic'  1 million Euros EU budget line for 2012 for wind energy R&D  would be in addition to approximately 24 million Euros that should be allocated to wind energy research in 2012 under the FP7 Programme.

Source: EWEA

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