The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), at the request of the European Commission (EC), has developed a Renewable Energy Roadmap (REmap) analysis for the Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) area. This study assesses the potential for renewable energy deployment in the CESEC region by 2030, beyond existing plans. It also analyses how an accelerated uptake of renewables would affect energy costs, investments, fossil-fuel consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the environment and people’s health. The results can contribute to strengthening energy and climate planning processes in European Union (EU) member states and in Energy Community Contracting Parties. The CESEC initiative spans nine EU member states (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) and eight Contracting Parties of the Energy Community (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine). This represents a heterogenous group in terms of economic development, per capita energy consumption, energy sources and current levels of renewable energy use.

EU member states account for roughly threequarters of CESEC energy consumption. Among the other eight parties, Ukraine accounts for more than two-thirds of final energy consumption. The region remains highly dependent on fossil fuel (mainly oil and gas) imports and has proved to be highly exposed to cuts in gas supply in past years. CESEC members also share the need for thorough modernisation in the energy sector, with numerous fossil fuel-fired generation assets due for retirement within a decade. CESEC members also suffer from poor air quality due to fossil fuel combustion, which represents a real and significant threat to the health of citizens. South-Eastern European cities have some of Europe’s highest levels of air pollution.