Brussels, 15/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 15 July, the European Commission tabled a raft of energy and climate measures - the “summer package” - containing suggestions on the redesign of the electricity market, a proposal for the reform of the retail market that will benefit consumers, a proposal to update energy efficiency labelling and a proposal for the revision of the emissions trading scheme (ETS).
All these measures seek to support the shift of the EU energy system to a lower carbon system that will allow the EU to reach its targets on reducing CO2 emissions, on renewables and on energy efficiency for 2020 and beyond, state Commissioners Maros Sefcovic (Energy Union) and Miguel Arias Canete (Energy and Climate).
The package is an important step towards implementing the EU energy strategy that was launched in February with a forward-looking climate change policy, the Commission said. The summer package puts energy efficiency first and places households and companies at the heart of the European energy market, it states.
In addition to the proposal on revising the ETS and the proposal to revise the energy efficiency labelling system (see other articles), the summer package launches a public consultation on what a more flexible energy market should look like in order to be able to better integrate renewables and involve active consumers (see EUROPE 11356), and delivers a new deal for energy consumers, based on a three-pillar strategy: 1) helping consumers save money and energy through better information; 2) giving consumers a wider choice of action when choosing their participation at energy markets; and 3) maintaining the highest level of consumer protection (see EUROPE 11358). (Emmanuel Hagry)