Brussels, 20/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - The countries of the Energy Community took a further step towards integration in the EU's internal energy market when the organisation's Ministerial Council, meeting in Tirana on Friday 16 October, adopted one of the EU's key targets - the 20% headline objective for energy efficiency by 2020 - and the trans-European energy network (TEN-E) regulation.
“The Energy Community is the most efficient instrument in ensuring effective implementation of the EU's energy, environment and competition acquis in the European Union's neighbourhood. (Its) Ministerial Council once again took key steps to achieve closer integration of the EU and Energy Community energy markets in a sustainable way”, said Energy and Climate Action Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, who was representing the EU in Tirana.
Adoption by the countries of the Energy Community (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine, with Armenia, Georgia, Norway, and Turkey having observer status) of the 20% energy efficiency target puts them on a par with the EU member states and adoption of the TEN-E regulation lays down the foundations for a truly pan-European energy infrastructure system, Canete said.
The Ministerial Council's adoption of directive 2012/27/EC on energy efficiency will put in place a common framework of measures for promoting energy efficiency in the countries of the Energy Community, setting a target of improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020 and paving the way for further improvements beyond that date. Under the terms of this text, the countries of the Energy Community will, like the countries of the EU, have to set energy efficiency requirements for distribution companies, promote energy efficiency in heating, cooling and co-generation and achieve annual objectives for the renovation of central government buildings.
Adoption of the TEN-E regulation will see established a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for streamlining permission, regulatory and cost-allocation procedures for projects of Energy Community interest (PECIs).
The Ministerial Council also adopted key recommendations contained in the report by the high-level reflection group on the future of the Community, led by MEP Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) on implementing a programme of reform to make the Community more effective and inclusive. Decisions were adopted to improve dispute settlement procedures and to strengthen engagement with members of parliament and with civil society organisations.
For the first time, the Ministerial Council adopted measures against Bosnia and Herzegovina for failure to adopt the second energy package in the gas sector. The measures will be applicable for a period of one year.
“We can be proud of what we have achieved during the last ten years, yet we can be even prouder of what awaits us. Today's meeting is a sign of European solidarity and cooperation that will significantly advance the energy relations between the Energy Community and the European Union”, said Canete.
The treaty setting up the Energy Community came into force at the end of 2005. It provides a framework for cooperation to build an integrated energy market between the EU and the countries of the Community on the basis of the Community's energy acquis and internal market principles. The activities of the Community cover gas, electricity, oil, security of supply, renewable energies, energy efficiency, the environment and competition. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)