The European energy system, which currently generates 75% of the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions, must be further decarbonised in order to reduce emissions by 50% or even 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission said on Wednesday 11 December, when it presented its Green Deal (see other news).
To this end, the von der Leyen Commission intends to “provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy” by strengthening the role of renewable energies in the EU’s energy mix and in energy efficiency.
Among the series of measures presented that the Commission intends to implement during its mandate are reviews of legislation.
It has already announced that the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation (347/2013) will be reviewed in 2020 to ensure that the regulatory framework for energy infrastructure promotes the deployment of innovative technologies and infrastructure such as smart grids, hydrogen networks, sectoral integration, energy storage and carbon capture, storage and use.
The Energy Taxation Directive will also be revised (see other news).
More broadly, in order to contribute to raising the EU’s climate ambitions for 2030, the Commission will review and propose revising, if necessary, the relevant energy legislation by June 2021.
In parallel with these future legislative amendments, other measures, the form of which remains unclear, will be taken.
Thus, the Commission will ensure, for example, that it promotes the development of decarbonised gases, in particular through the design of a competitive decarbonised gas market. In 2020, it will also adopt a strategy for intelligent integration of the sectors and a strategy for offshore wind that will specifically focus on encouraging cooperation between Member States in this field.
As regards the national energy/climate plans (NECPs) to be provided by Member States by the end of the year, the Commission will assess them by June 2020 and take further action if the level of ambition of these plans is not sufficient.
Priority given to energy efficiency. In addition, the institution intends to give priority to energy efficiency, where the gap between Member States’ contributions under the draft national energy/climate plans (NECPs) and the EU’s energy objectives for 2030 remains significant (see EUROPE 12383/5).
To this end, the Commission wishes to engage the EU and Member States in a “wave of renovation” of public and private buildings, with the objective of doubling the annual renovation rate of the housing stock. According to the Commission, such a development would not only improve energy efficiency, but also reduce energy poverty, stimulate the construction sector and support SMEs and local jobs.
To this end, the Commission will evaluate Member States’ long-term national renovation strategies in 2020 and review the Regulation (305/2011) on construction products. It will also examine the possibility of including building emissions in the European Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Finally, the Commission wishes to address obstacles to renovation by establishing an open platform that would bring together the building and construction sector, architects, engineers and local authorities.
Link to the communication : https://bit.ly/2RDmEki (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)