10,917 MW of new wind energy capacity was commissioned in Europe in 2013, down 8% year-on-year, reports the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA, Brussels / Belgium; www.ewea.org). The decline was accompanied by ongoing weak demand for composites as well as glass and carbon fibre reinforcements used in this particular field, and predominantly found in rotor blades.

The main reason for the decline was poor investment in installations in countries like Spain (down 84%), Italy (down 65%) and France (down 24%). The weak Spanish market in particular – with 23 GW installed capacity the continent's second largest, on the heels of Germany (34 GW) – pulled the average down. By contrast, wind power installations experienced rather slow growth in countries like Croatia (where installed capacity grew by 40% year-on-year) and in Finland (up 36%). Both Romania and Poland experienced growth rates of 26%, while the UK's wind energy market grew by 18%. The German market expanded by only 9.5% in 2013.

"EU wind power installations for 2013 show the negative impact of the market, regulatory and political uncertainty that has been sweeping across Europe. Destabilised legislative frameworks for wind energy have undermined investments, and put green growth, jobs and energy security at risk," said EWEA deputy CEO Justin Wilkes. EU-wide installed wind energy capacity stood at 116 GW last year, accounting for 8% of total energy production, about 1% more than in 2012.