The Commission's
latest estimations suggest that the EU will only achieve half of
the Europe 2020 targets in 2020. The European Council and the
European Parliament have therefore urged the Commission to adopt a
new ambitious strategy on energy efficiency for determined action
to tap the considerable potential.
The proposed
Directive transforms certain aspects of the EEP (put forward on
March 8, 2011) into binding measures to make a significant
contribution to meeting the EU's 2020 energy efficiency target, and
it looks beyond, seeking to set a common framework to promote
energy efficiency in the Union beyond 2020.
The proposed Directive establishes a
common framework for promoting energy efficiency in the Union to
ensure the target of 20 % primary energy savings by 2020 is met and
to pave the way for further energy efficiency afterwards. It lays
down rules designed to remove barriers and overcome some of the
market failures that impede efficiency in the supply and use of
energy.
For end-use
sectors, the proposed Directive focuses on
measures that lay down requirements on the public sector, both as
regards renovating the buildings it owns and applying high energy
efficiency standards to the purchase of buildings, products and
services. The proposal requires Member States to establish national
energy efficiency obligation schemes. It requires regular mandatory
energy audits for large companies and lays down a series of
requirements on energy companies regarding metering and
billing.
For the energy supply
sector, the proposal requires Member States
to adopt national heating and cooling plans to develop the
potential for high-efficiency generation and efficient district
heating and cooling, and to ensure that spatial planning
regulations are in line with these plans. Member States must adopt
authorization criteria that ensure that installations are located
in sites close to heat demand points and that all new electricity
generation installations
and existing installations that are
substantially refurbished are equipped with high-efficiency CHP
units.
Other
measures proposed include efficiency
requirements for national energy regulatory authorities,
information and awareness-raising actions, requirements concerning
the availability of certification schemes, action to promote the
development of energy services, and an obligation for Member States
to remove obstacles to energy efficiency, notably the split of
incentives between the owner and tenant of a building or among
building owners.
Finally, the proposal provides for
the establishment of
national energy efficiency targets for 2020 and requires
the Commission to assess in 2014 whether the Union can achieve its
target of 20 % primary energy savings by 2020. The Commission is
required to submit its assessment to the European Parliament and
the Council, followed, if appropriate, by a legislative proposal
laying down mandatory national targets.
Download the full text of the proposal:
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/eed/doc/2011_directive/com_2011_0370_en.pdf
Join
the 'Renewable Energy Regulations for Public
Administration' BUILDUP
community at:
http://www.buildup.eu/communities/renewableenergyregulations and
let us know what you think about it! (in case you require any
assistance, please contact patres@area.trieste.it)