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EU Directive on Energy End-use Efficiency and Energy Services |
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Updated: February 2008 National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (see Communication from the Commission COM(2008) 11) Read more opinions from INFORSE-Europe and others below. The Final
Directive Opinion by INFORSE-Europe INFORSE-Europe urges the EU countries to strengthen the energy efficiency target in the implementation of the directive. The target should be more than 1%/ per year above business as ususal, INFORSE-Europe recommends 2-3% per year in additional energy efficiency increase. This call for seemingly high targets are because of the low increase in energy efficiency in the last 5 years, both compared with the technical and economical possibilities and compared with the previous achievements. INFORSE-Europe also proposes that the countries agree to the proposal of integrating energy efficiency in the energy markets by introducing schemes where a fraction of the electricity price is used for consumer information and promotion of energy efficiency. These activities can be organised by the distribution companies that by nature are not players on the competitive market, or by special energy savings trusts. If the activities are well organised, the savings that the consumers get because of the activities will more than offset the fees they pay for the activities. Recent evaluations of Danish electricity efficiency programs proves that. Free-riding by including "business as usual" as described below should be avoided. Description The directive
is (2006/32) .
The energy efficiency targets are 1%/year, for the first 9-year period.
The target is defined as the energy efficiency improvements resulting
from energy efficiency measures specified
in the
text. While this is a sensible way to measure it from a policy-maker's
point of view, the list includes a number of measures that are - or
can be - part of the normal "business as usual" development
of increased energy efficiency of the societies. Thus, its open for
some "free riding" of
countries that counts energy efficiency improvements that are not an
effect of active policies. Procedure May 17, 2006. The directive entered into force and must be implemented two years later. The countries should develop energy efficiency action plans before 30. June 2007 for the first three-year period. April 5, 2006. The directive was finnally adopted as directive 2006/32. March 14, 2006: The EU energy minister adopted the directive in the form proposed by the EU Parliament 13/12 2005. December 13, 2005: The EU Parliament agreed to the proposal of the energy ministers with targets of just 1% per year energy efficiency increase (9% in 9 years) and only as an indicative target. In addition the countries must impose obligations on their energy suppliers and prepare national Energy Efficiency Action Plans. June 28, 2005: The energy ministers made a political agreement at their meeting June28. They did not agree the position of the Parliament as they do agreed to only 6% increase in energy efficiency for the first six years, no mandatory targets, and no special targets for the public sector. June 7, 2005: The EU Parliament agreed to ask for targets June 7, the EU Parliament agreed to ask for stronger targets. They asked for progressive increasing targets of 1% per year for the first 3 years (2006-2008), 1.3% for the for the next three years, and 1.5% for the following three years. In addition they asked for higher targets for the public sector, starting with 1.5% for the first years. The Parliament also proposed that the targets should be mandatory. March-April 2005: The proposal is
discussed in European Parliament in 2005. The Parliament's environmental
and energy committees
have proposed higher efficiency increases than the 1% per year, included
in the original proposal. The environmental committee proposed 2.5%/year
with
3% per year for the public sector. Additionally the countries were limited in their decision-making because they are waiting for the Parliaments opinion. Spring 2004: Preliminary discussions took place in the EU Parliament and in the EU countries in the spring of 2004. While conclusions from these are preliminary, all countries could accept EU-wide indicative energy efficiency targets, while some country representatives had reservations to national indicative targets. December 10, 2003 : Proposed by the Commission Read the proposals progress in Parliament (enter above reference no). |
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