An overview is given of research in the major countries of Europe in the area of renewable energies. The analysis used the Scopus (Elsevier) database of scientific literature, calculating bibliometric indices (primary production, average citations per document, percentage variation, SJR, etc.) for the geographical domain of Europe during the period 2002-2007. The aim of the study is to supplement previous works on the subject which have mostly been limited to a particular type of energy without addressing the area as a whole, as well as to expand their methodological approaches in both the data retrieval strategy and the calculation of indices. The results show Europe to be well positioned globally in this scientific field - in production, in citations, and in impact. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.