ByBarbaraLewis

BRUSSELS,Dec11-AustriaisbreakingEuropeanUnionlawwithitsplanstoshelterenergy-intensiveindustriesfromthecostofsubsidisingrenewablepower,oneofthetopEUcourtssaidonThursday.

Inaseparatedecision,anadvocategeneraltotheEU'shighesttribunal,theCourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanUnion,foundPolandhadfailedtoimplementinfulltheEUrenewableenergylawandshouldbeorderedtopayadailyfine.

InAustria,aGreenElectricityAct,notyetenteredinforce,couldallowenergyintensivebusinessessuchassteelmakerVoestalpinetoavoidthefullcostofafixedpriceforgreenenergythatishigherthanthemarketprice.

Thegreenenergytariffisdesignedtobenefitrenewablepowerproducersandhelplifttheshareofrenewablepowerintheenergymix,aspartofEUclimateandenergypolicy.

TheLuxembourg-basedGeneralCourtoftheEuropeanUnion,thebloc'ssecond-highesttribunal,ruledthattheschemeforenergy-intensivefirmsconstitutedstateaidandclashedwithEUlaw.

Germany,bycontrast,earlierthisyearwonEUandcourtbackingforitsgreenenergyschemetothereliefofbig

business.MeanwhiletheEuropeanCommission,theEUexecutive,isseekingtoimposeonPolandadailyfineofmorethan61,000euros.

Opinionsofadvocategeneralsareadoptedbythecourtinamajorityofcases.Judgesareexpectedtoruleinthecomingmonths.

Inastatement,thePolisheconomyministrysaiditwastakingstepstofullyimplementtherenewableenergydirective.

TheEuropeanCommissionhassaiditwillrigorouslyenforcelegislationoncompletingthesingleEUenergymarket.

ConflictsbetweenUkraineandRussia,theEU'sbiggestenergysupplier,haveintensifiedEUeffortstocreateamoreefficientEuropeanmarket,withcross-borderlinks,toshareoutavailablesuppliesandlimitdependencyonimportedfossilfuels.