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EU Countries fail on energy efficiency plans |
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Most EU Member States are not doing enough to reduce energy use at the national level, a first review of action plans submitted to the European Commission has shown. Meanwhile, a new report by the European Parliament blames the Commission itself for this lack of progress.
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2008-01-30
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The European Commission has issued a first, grim assessment of energy saving plans submitted by Member States last year. According to a Commision press release last week, the 17 assessed "National Energy Efficiency Action Plans" showed a "gap between the political commitment to energy efficiency and the proposals aimed at facing up to these challenges." Most of the plans thus rely on a business-as-usual approach to cut energy consumption at the national level by 9% by 2016. Only a small number of states puts a focus on progressive measures and innovative technologies to achieve the EU-wide voluntary target of 20% energy savings by 2020 agreed by all head of states in spring 2007.
The "Action Plan on Energy Efficiency" was introduced in 2006 to reduce energy use from electric appliances, building and transport through mostly non-binding measures. The current lack of action is in sharp contrast with last year’s pledges of all EU Member States to increase efforts in this area. Only 2 out of 27 states had delivered their Action Plans in time by 30 June 2007, with another 12 completely failing to submit them by October 2007. As a consequence, the Commission has already launched infringement procedures against these 12 states.
EU Parliament report blames Commission for "dereliction of duty"
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The European Commission itself has now come under fire from environmental groups and the European Parliament for failing to attach enough importance to the issue of energy efficiency. In its ambitious climate change package launched on 23 January, the Commission failed to put political emphasis on the contribution that energy-efficient building, heating and equipment could make to the creation of a low-carbon society. The Commission proposal to cut 20% of greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020 ignored a reference to a reduced energy demand as one of the most cost-effective way to achieve the target. Environmental groups now demand that the voluntary measures should be made mandatory to improve their effectiveness.
The European Parliament has already reacted with an own-initiative report by Liberal Fiona Hall charging both the Commission and Member States for a "serious dereliction of duty" over the implementation of concrete energy-saving measures. The report, drafted in October 2007 and to be voted on today in full Plenary, also notes that out of 21 actions laid out in the Action Plan, by 1 September 2007, only 3 had been fully implemented.
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The report proposes to: - establish minimum performance standards for all significant energy-using equipment by 2010,
- formulate criteria for the eco-labeling of heating and cooling technologies to spur the use of environmentally save systems
- rapidly implement a revised fuel economy labeling directive to devote at least 20% of space on any advertising for new cars to efficiency and emission information, and
- enforce the Commission proposal for CO2-based car taxes as soon as possible.
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More information:
› European Commission Press Release, 23 January 2008
 Parliament Report Fiona Hall: (504 KB)
› More about the Action Plan for Energy Efficiency in our Policies section
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