Parliament and Council negotiators agree on new rules to boost energy savings
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Energy efficiency directive sets targets for 2030
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Reduction of primary and final energy consumption by 7% at EU level
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New law will help fight climate change and boost energy security
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Lead MEP Niels Fuglsang: “An agreement that’s not only good for our climate, but bad for Putin”
MEPs and the Swedish Presidency of the Council agreed on new energy saving targets in both primary and final energy consumption in the EU.
Member states should collectively ensure a reduction of energy consumption of at least 11.7% at EU level by 2030 (compared to the projections of the 2020 Reference Scenario). A robust monitoring and enforcement mechanism will accompany this objective to make sure member states deliver on their national contributions to this binding EU target.
MEPs and the Council Presidency also agreed on annual energy savings by member states of 1.5% (on average) until 2030. The annual energy savings will begin with 1.3% in the period until the end of 2025, and will progressively reach 1.9% in the last period up to the end of 2030.
The targets should be achieved through measures at local, regional and national levels, in different sectors – e.g. public administration, buildings, businesses, data centres, etc. MEPs insisted that the scheme should in particular cover the public sector, which will have to reduce its final energy consumption by 1.9% each year. Member states should also ensure that at least 3% of public buildings are reconverted each year into nearly-zero energy buildings or zero-emission buildings. The agreement also establishes new requirements for efficient district heating systems.
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Rapporteur Niels Fuglsang (S&D, DK), said: “I am very happy that we succeeded in pushing member states towards far more ambitious energy efficiency targets. It is of utmost importance that we will no longer depend on Russian energy in the future, while still achieving our climate targets. Today was a great victory. An agreement not only good for our climate, but bad for Putin.”
“For the first time ever, we have a target for energy consumption that member states are obliged to live up to”, he added.
Next steps
The provisional agreement will now have to be endorsed by both Parliament and Council.
Background
On 14 July 2021, the European Commission adopted the ‘Fit for 55’ package, adapting existing climate and energy legislation to meet the new EU objective of a minimum 55% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. One element of the package is the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), which will help the EU deliver the new 55% GHG target. Under RED II currently in force, the EU is obliged to ensure at least 32% of its energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources by 2030.
The “Fit for 55” package also includes the recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), aligning its provisions to the new 55% GHG target. The EED currently sets out the level of energy savings the EU needs to make to meet the agreed goal of 32.5% energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
