from renewable sources. Planning rules and guidelines should be adapted to take into consideration cost-effective and environmentally beneficial renewable heating and cooling and electricity equipment. (42) For the benefit of rapid deployment of energy from renew- able sources and in view of their overall high sustainable and environmental beneficial quality, Member States should, when applying administrative rules, planning structures and legislation which are designed for licensing installations with respect to pollution reduction and con- trol for industrial plants, for combating air pollution and for the prevention or minimisation of the discharge of dan- gerous substances in the environment, take into account the contribution of renewable energy sources towards meeting environmental and climate change objectives, in particular when compared to non-renewable energy installations. (43) In order to stimulate the contribution by individual citizens to the objectives set out in this Directive, the relevant authorities should consider the possibility of replacing authorisations by simple notifications to the competent body when installing small decentralised devices for pro- ducing energy from renewable sources. (44) The coherence between the objectives of this Directive and the Community's other environmental legislation should be ensured. In particular, during the assessment, planning or licensing procedures for renewable energy installations, Member States should take account of all Community environmental legislation and the contribution made by renewable energy sources towards meeting environmental and climate change objectives, in particular when com- pared to non-renewable energy installations. (45) National technical specifications and other requirements falling within the scope of Directive 98/34/EC of the Euro- pean Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 lay- ing down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations and rules on Information Society services (), relating for example to levels of quality, testing methods or conditions of use, should not create barriers for trade in renewable energy equipment and systems. Therefore, support schemes for energy from renewable sources should not prescribe national technical specifications which deviate from exist- ing Community standards or require the supported equip- ment or systems to be certified or tested in a specified location or by a specified entity. (46) It is appropriate for Member States to consider mecha- nisms for the promotion of district heating and cooling from energy from renewable sources. (47) At national and regional level