Towards an international tradable green certificate system : the challenging example of Belgium

In Europe, a common framework for renewable energy sources (RES) is aspired. Tradable green certificates (TGCs) are a market-based cost-efficient means to stimulate electricity production from RES. Since TGCs are the most widespread support scheme in Europe together with feed-in tariffs, chances are that a common European framework could well be based on TGCs. However, while integrating currently existing different national TGC systems, any remaining differences should be carefully considered. Just how difficult the creation of an international TGC market would be is illustrated in this paper by the case of Belgium, where no less than 4 different TGC systems exist nowadays. The example of Belgium illustrates that harmonizing different TGC systems is easier said than done and represents a serious challenge. This clearly illustrates that a single European support scheme for RES, however desirable, is still far in the future.