On Tuesday 28 September the European Commission published recommendations and guidelines for Member States to further implement the ‘Energy Efficiency First principle’.
This principle has been enshrined in EU legislation since the adoption of the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union (2018/1999) in 2019 and consists of prioritising energy efficiency on the basis that the best energy is that which is not produced because it does not need to be used.
In order to ensure the correct application of the principle, the Commission recommends, among other things, that Member States ensure that it is applied “in policy, planning and investment decisions at various decision-making levels, where energy demand or supply is affected”.
It also advises that the Energy Efficiency First principle should be treated as an “overarching principle” to be applied in a broader policy context, rather than as an ultimate goal for reducing energy consumption, and that it should be applied using a systemic approach.
In addition, the Commission calls for information, guidance and assistance on how to apply the principle to be provided to the entities concerned, in particular at a local level.
The guidelines aim to support the practical implementation of the principle with concrete solutions. In particular, they include a “matrix” showing the different steps involved in applying the Energy Efficiency First principle in the decision-making process at different phases (inception, preparation, validation, implementation) and for different types of decision-makers (policy makers, regulatory authorities, market entities).
The recommendation can be found at: https://bit.ly/3mdhA3N
The guidelines can be found at: https://bit.ly/3mdw9EB (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)