<s>[INST] The next text is a question of a member of the European parliament:"In its communication of 11.12.2019 on the Green Deal (COM(2019)0640), the Commission states that: ‘The rapid decrease in the cost of renewables, combined with improved design of support policies, has already reduced the impact on households’ energy bills of renewables deployment.’ However, what is reduced is not the cost of producing heavily-subsidised renewables but merely the price of energy on the stock exchange at times of over-supply – which is more the rule than the exception in the case of volatile renewables.Is this not a case of confusing the cost of renewables with the price for the end-user?If renewables are so cost-effective, why is it not possible to dispense with all the support measures?In the document accompanying COM(2019)0640, the Commission claims that the Green Deal will also result in lower energy costs(1) . The price of electricity for end-users in Germany went up from 0.1394EUR/kWh to 0.3049EUR/kWh in 2019, subsequent to the introduction of the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) in the year 2000(2) .How then can the Commission talk about lower energy costs in connection with support for ‘renewables’?  (1)https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en, situation as of 11.12.2019  (2)German Association of Water and Energy Industries (BDEW)"
Analyze carefully the text and assign it to the most relevant policy area among those listed below. Do not explain your answer and return only a number.
Policy area numbers: 1 = Macroeconomics
2 = Civil Rights, Minority Issues and Civil Liberties
3 = Health
4 = Agriculture and Fisheries
5 = Labour, employment and pensions
6 = Education
7 = Environment
8 = Energy
9 = Immigration
10 = Transportation
12 = Law and Crime
13 = Social welfare
14 = Regional and Urban issues and Planning
15 = Banking, finance and domestic commerce issues
16 = Defence
17 = Space, science, technology, and communications issues
18 = Foreign trade
19 = International affairs and foreign aid
20 = Governance and government
21 = Public Lands, Water Management and Territorial Issues
23 = Culture and media
[/INST]. Answer = [8]. </s>
In its communication of 11.12.2019 on the Green Deal (COM(2019)0640), the Commission states that: ‘The rapid decrease in the cost of renewables, combined with improved design of support policies, has already reduced the impact on households’ energy bills of renewables deployment.’ However, what is reduced is not the cost of producing heavily-subsidised renewables but merely the price of energy on the stock exchange at times of over-supply – which is more the rule than the exception in the case of volatile renewables.Is this not a case of confusing the cost of renewables with the price for the end-user?If renewables are so cost-effective, why is it not possible to dispense with all the support measures?In the document accompanying COM(2019)0640, the Commission claims that the Green Deal will also result in lower energy costs(1) . The price of electricity for end-users in Germany went up from 0.1394EUR/kWh to 0.3049EUR/kWh in 2019, subsequent to the introduction of the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) in the year 2000(2) .How then can the Commission talk about lower energy costs in connection with support for ‘renewables’?  (1)https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en, situation as of 11.12.2019  (2)German Association of Water and Energy Industries (BDEW)