Proposal for a Directive on energy efficiency

The EU has set itself the objective of achieving 20% primary energy savings in 2020 and has made this objective one of the five headline targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

The Commission’s latest estimations, which take into account the national energy efficiency targets for 2020 that Member States have set in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, suggest that the EU will achieve only half of the 20% target in 2020. The European Council and the European Parliament have urged the Commission to adopt a new ambitious strategy on energy efficiency for determined action to tap the considerable potential.

To give fresh momentum to energy efficiency, on 8 March 2011 the Commission put forward a new Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP) setting out measures to achieve further savings in energy supply and use.

This legislative proposal transforms certain aspects of the EEP into binding measures. The main purpose of the proposal is to make a significant contribution to meeting the EU’s 2020 energy efficiency target. For it to be successful, the proposal must be promptly adopted and implemented in the Member States.

The proposal also looks beyond the 20% target and seeks to set a common framework to promote energy efficiency in the Union beyond 2020. The proposal is a strategic priority in the Commission Work Programme for 2011.

Official

EUR-Lex: SEC(2011)779: Impact assessment https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SEC:2011:779:FIN

EUR-Lex: SEC(2011)780: Summary of the impact assessment https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SEC:2011:780:FIN

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