Increased energy efficiency: ensuring progress towards EU's climate and energy goals

Met dank overgenomen van Raad van de Europese Unie (Raad) i, gepubliceerd op maandag 26 juni 2017.

The Council agreed today its position on a proposal for a revised directive on energy efficiency. This agreement will allow for the start of negotiations with the European Parliament under the Estonian presidency.

The main objective of the proposed directive is to improve the existing provisions and to increase energy efficiency in order to ensure that the European Union's 2020 headline targets and 2030 climate and energy goals are met.

Energy efficiency is considered as an energy source in its own right. Increasing energy efficiency will benefit the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy security, cut energy costs for households and companies, help alleviate energy poverty and contribute to growth and jobs.

The main elements of the revised directive are:

  • Overall EU energy efficiency target of 30%
  • An energy savings obligations of 1.5%, decreasing to 1.0% for the period 2026-2030, unless the mid-term review in 2024 concludes that the EU is not on track to meet its targets
  • Long term individual actions may count for energy savings obligation
  • Alternative measures are recognised as equivalent to energy efficiency obligation schemes
  • Possibility of partially counting renewable energy generated on-site towards savings in the 2020-2030 period
  • Obligation to take into account energy poverty when designing new measures
  • Improved metering and billing provisions for the benefit of final users of heating and cooling

"We are extremely pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement on this important legislation, which was a priority of our Presidency . Energy efficiency is a crucial element for Europe's successful energy transition. It will allow us to move forward on the implementation of the Clean Energy Package."

Joe Mizzi, Maltese minister for Energy and Water Management

Background

The Commission proposal on energy efficiency updates the current Directive 2012/27/EU and was presented by the Commission in November 2016. It's part of the extensive Clean Energy Package, the implementing tool of the Energy Union strategy.

The general goal of the strategy is to move towards the decarbonisation of the EU economy by 2030 and beyond, whilst strengthening economic growth, consumer protection, innovation and competitiveness.

The conclusions of the European Council of October 2014 set an indicative target of at least 27% increase in energy efficiency at Union level in 2030. This target should be reviewed by 2020 having in mind an Union level of 30%.


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