30. Recognises that subsidies for all energy sources, including fossil fuels and nuclear energy, may have significant repercussions on energy prices; notes that some renewable energy sources, such as onshore wind and solar photovoltaics, are close to being cost-competitive with conventional energy sources, and considers that the associated support schemes should therefore be adapted, and subsidies phased out over time, so that the funding can be reallocated to research and development p
rogrammes on energy technologies such as next-generation renewable energy sources and storage technologies; stresses, however, that this should be annou
...[+++]nced well in advance to avoid any harmful effects on the sector, and that it requires reformed energy market design, streamlined administrative and grid connection procedures and better transparency in energy markets; deplores the retroactive changes made by some Member States to support schemes, which have damaged investor confidence and investment levels in renewable energy sources; asks the Commission to study how energy-only markets can be redesigned in such a way as to guarantee returns on investments in variable renewables, which have the effect of bringing wholesale prices down while also having an impact on investment returns; stresses that a clear RES policy, combined with RD programmes, is necessary to drive down the costs of all renewable technologies and to enhance innovation and the development and deployment of newer and less mature technologies; asks the Commission to study the overall impact of priority dispatch, including on general energy costs; ...