Use of renewable energy in the European Union – trends of change

Purpose of the article was to assess the use of energy from renewable sources in the European Union Member States in 2004-2016. Changes in the structure of renewable energy carriers are presented, indicating the directions of changes. A high concentration of renewable energy consumption in the European Union was found. The share of renewable energy in total energy consumption in all EU countries was increasing, but not all countries are able to achieve the national targets. The main source of renewable energy in the European Union was biomass, and its share in the total structure of renewable energy was about 45 %. A weak relationship between the share of renewable energy in final gross energy consumption and the Human Development Index (HDI) was also found