| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2013) 762 final (6.11.13) |
| Publication Date | 06/11/2013 |
| Content Type | Policy-making, Report |
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Europe cannot afford to waste energy. Achieving an energy efficient Europe has been an EU goal for a long time, repeatedly supported by the Heads of State and Governments of the EU. In 2007 the European Council adopted ambitious energy and climate change objectives for 2020 – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, to increase the share of renewable energy to 20% and to reach 20% energy efficiency. These targets were reconfirmed in the Europe 2020 Strategy, which is shared among the European institutions, the Member States and the social partners, all of whom have a part to play in making sure the EU takes the necessary actions to reach the Europe 2020 targets. Forecasts in 2010 showed that the EU energy efficiency 2020 target would not be met and that therefore new measures were needed at European and national level. To tackle this situation the Commission put forward a proposal for an Energy Efficiency Directive in 2011. The proposal built on the experience gained in various areas, notably on the energy performance of buildings, on energy services and on cogeneration. The common denominator of these areas is the still existing great potential for energy efficiency, thus the proposal started from the basis that the majority of the energy savings required could be reached through energy efficiency improvements (i.e. using less energy input for an equivalent level of economic activity or service). The overall aim of the proposal was to make a significant contribution to meeting the EU's 2020 energy efficiency target as well as to set a common framework to promote energy efficiency in the Union beyond 2020. That proposal was eventually adopted by the two co-legislators on 25 October 2012 as the Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU (EED). The majority of the EED provisions must be transposed into national law by 5 June 2014. As energy efficiency relies on multiple small-scale actions, the Directive contains complex, detailed provisions often of a very technical character. The Commission is concerned to work closely with the Member States in their transposition and effective implementation of the Directive, and to this end, has prepared seven Staff Working Documents (SWDs), which explain in more detail how, in the Commission's services' view, certain provisions of the Directive should be read and can be best applied. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2013:762:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Energy |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
