EU wind energy

The EU, a global leader on wind

The EU has helped develop wind power thanks to its ambitious policies and investments. As ‘first movers’ in the industry, European companies have gained invaluable experience, starting with the first offshore wind farm in Denmark in 1991.

The EU is a global leader in the manufacturing of wind turbine components, as well as foundations and cables. Based on 2024 deployment, European companies accounted for 21% of the global wind market, rising to 38% in the offshore market.

To explore offshore renewable energy sites further out to sea with stronger and more consistent winds, several European developers are working on floating offshore wind turbines. Multiple pilot projects are already up and running, with deployment expected to accelerate towards the end of this decade.

The wind sector is also a significant contributor to the EU economy, boosting growth and creating long-term sustainable jobs. According to ETIP’s European Wind Energy Competitiveness Report 2025, the wind industry provided around 380 000 jobs in the EU in 2024. Under the REPowerEU targets, this number is projected to increase to 936 000 by 2030.

EU Wind Power Package

Wind energy manufacturing, together with other competitive net-zero industries, supports the EU's transition to climate neutrality, while also creating growth and jobs.

To accelerate wind energy manufacturing across Europe, the Commission presented the EU Wind Power Package in October 2023. It consists of 2 initiatives – an Action Plan and a communication.

European Wind Power Action Plan

The Action Plan (COM/2023/669) is based on 6 pillars: accelerating deployment through faster permitting and increased predictability; improved auction design; access to finance; creating a fair and competitive international environment; skills; industry engagement, and EU countries’ commitments. 

It sets out 15 actions to be urgently undertaken by the key public and private actors involved. 

Action 1 announced the ‘Accele-RES initiative’ to accelerate permitting. Under this initiative, the Commission supports EU countries in transposing the revised directive through guidance documents, bilateral meetings, and multilateral fora, such as a permitting expert group and Concerted Action on the Renewable Energy Directive (CA-RES), as well as a Q&A tool.

Following up on 2 of the plan's actions, the vast majority of EU countries, together with many leading industry representatives, signed a European Wind Charter on 19 December 2023, in which they agreed to a set of voluntary commitments to support the development of Europe’s wind sector. On the same occasion, 21 EU countries submitted their concrete pledges on wind energy deployment volumes for at least the 2024-2026 period. The pledges reflect their commitment to accelerating the deployment of both onshore and offshore wind in the EU.    

Implemented actions

on accelerating deployment, the Permitting Regulation was prolonged until June 2025, the Recommendation and Guidance on permitting were updated, the Guidance on Renewables Acceleration Areas was published and the Renewable Energy Auctions platform was launched.
the Commission adopted a Recommendation and Guidance in May 2024 to improve auction design and support co-legislators in reaching an agreement on the inclusion of pre-qualification and awarding non-price criteria in auctions under the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA).
To facilitate access to finance, the Commission expanded the possibility to support wind energy manufacturing under the Innovation Fund, awarding 6 grants to wind manufacturing projects in call IF23, with further calls (IF24, IF25) continuing to support clean-tech manufacturing. Furthermore, the EIB created a wind counter-guarantee tool, under which the first operations with commercial banks were signed in 2024.
to ensure a fair and competitive international environment, the Commission is working to facilitate access to third-country markets, while also monitoring possible unfair trade practices that benefit foreign wind manufacturers, including through the Foreign Subsidies Regulation.
a proposal to set up a Blueprint Alliance on skills in the renewable energy sector was selected under the 2024 Erasmus+ call for proposals.

To facilitate grid build-out and simplify permitting for grids, renewable energy, storage and recharging stations, the Commission adopted the European Grids Package by the end of 2025.

Following the adoption of the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) in June 2024, the Commission adopted a regulation specifying these pre-qualification and award criteria. As of 2026, EU countries must apply the non-price criteria to at least 30% of the volume auctioned for renewable energy each year, or alternatively to at least 6 gigawatt (GW) per year.

Communication on achieving the EU’s offshore wind ambitions

The Commission communication (COM/2023/668) highlights the need to accelerate investment in offshore wind and ocean energies.

The EU's total offshore installed capacity stands at around 21.5 GW. To meet EU countries’ commitments, new offshore installations must increase to almost 12 GW per year on average, 10 times more than the 1.2 GW installed in 2022.

The communication identifies 6 areas where progress would help accelerate the roll out of offshore capacity

strengthening grid infrastructure and regional cooperation
accelerating permitting
ensuring integrated maritime spatial planning
strengthening resilience of infrastructure
sustaining research and innovation to support offshore renewable energy
developing supply chains and skills

Renewables auctions platform

As the Action Plan states that the EU should double the share of renewables in its energy consumption by 2030, it is critical to provide the renewable energy industry with stable and long-term investment signals.

Under the Renewable Energy Directive, EU countries have an obligation to publish a long-term schedule of the expected allocation of support for renewables, covering at least 5 years ahead.

Launched in May 2024, the RES Auctions Platform provides details on planned auctions across the EU, including timing, frequency, volumes to be supported, budget and eligible technologies.

It serves as a single point of information for all renewable energy auctions in the EU, helping the industry to better plan investments in manufacturing capacity, increase bankability, and bolster their business case.

Wind power facts

Wind is a clean and abundant energy source used to generate electricity. It can be harnessed either on land or at sea.

Improved manufacturing and wind turbine design have increased performance and electricity output, lowering wind power costs and strengthening its role in the clean energy transition.

The average onshore wind turbine now generates enough electricity each year to power over 1500 EU households, while newer models can supply more than three times as many.

According to Eurostat, wind energy accounted for 37.5% of renewable electricity generation in the EU in 2025. The figures below show a steady increase in the region’s installed wind power capacity. However, it is still not enough to meet the energy and climate targets set for 2030. Consequently, the EU and the wind industry have committed to ramping up both onshore and offshore wind in the coming years. 

Installed wind energy capacity

219 GW 2023

231 GW 2024

246 GW 2025