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Energy Efficiency Directive

On 25 October 2012, the EU adopted the Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency.

This Directive establishes a common framework of measures for the promotion of energy efficiency within the Union in order to ensure the achievement of the Union’s 2020 20 % headline target on energy efficiency and to pave the way for further energy efficiency improvements beyond that date. It lays down rules designed to remove barriers in the energy market and overcome market failures that impede efficiency in the supply and use of energy, and provides for the establishment of indicative national energy efficiency targets for 2020.

On 4 October 2012, the Council endorsed the political agreement on the Energy Efficiency Directive. The European Parliament had casted his favorable vote on such agreement on 11 September 2012.

The Directive brings forward legally binding measures to step up Member States’ efforts to use energy more efficiently at all stages of the energy chain – from the transformation of energy and its distribution to its final consumption. Measures include the legal obligation to establish energy efficiency obligations schemes or policy measures in all Member States. These will drive energy efficiency improvements in households, industries and transport sectors. Other measures include an exemplary role to be played by the public sector and a right for consumers to know how much energy they consume.

On 22 June 2011, the EC proposed a new Directive to step up Member States efforts to use energy more efficiently at all stages of the energy chain – from the transformation of energy and its distribution to its final consumption. The EC proposed simple but ambitious measures: legal obligation to establish energy saving schemes in all Member States, public sector to lead by example and major energy savings for consumers.

On 19-20 April 2012, a non-paper on the Energy Efficiency Directive was presented at the Informal Energy Council. It aims at supporting the discussions on the proposal for a new Energy Efficiency Directive by providing information on its estimated costs and benefits.

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