On Wednesday 13 July, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) voted in favour of increasing the EU’s ambition to reduce energy consumption, adopting by a very large majority (50 votes in favour, 7 against and 13 abstentions) the draft report by Niels Fuglsang (S&D, Danish) on the revision of the EU directive (2018/2002) on energy efficiency (EED).
MEPs want to aim for a 14.5% reduction in energy consumption in the EU by 2030 compared to the 2020 baseline projection (a projection of where current EU policies, combined with market trends, are likely to lead).
This is an increase of 5.5 percentage points (pp) compared to the target originally foreseen in the revision of the Directive (see EUROPE 12762/8) and 1.5 pp compared to the target proposed by the European Commission in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine (see EUROPE 12955/4).
However, this increased target does not appear in the text approved by MEPs, as they preferred to set the target on the basis of the previously used baseline scenario, i.e. from 2007, in order to take into account the progress already made by the Member States.
The EU energy efficiency targets for 2030 in the draft report are actually 42.5% for primary energy consumption and 40% for final energy consumption, compared to 39% and 36% in the Commission’s original proposal. Current legislation sets this target at 32.5% (without distinguishing between primary and final energy consumption).
By adopting the package of compromise amendments negotiated between the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA political groups, MEPs also propose to make Member States’ national contributions to the collective EU target binding, as well as setting interim national targets in 2025 and 2027.
These amendments, previously detailed by us (see EUROPE 12985/1), also allow for the following: - an increase of the target for the public sector; - the inclusion of social buildings in the obligation to renovate public buildings, while providing for the possibility of a derogation; - an increase in the energy savings obligation; - the introduction of a new chapter on data centres; - the revision of the criteria for defining an ‘efficient’ district heating and cooling system; - the strengthening of the application of the ‘energy efficiency first principle’; - the establishment of ‘European sectoral energy efficiency partnerships’; - amendments to the criteria for the obligation to have an energy management system or to carry out energy audits.
Regarding energy savings, the amended draft report states that a quarter of the annual 2% target (i.e. 0.5%) can be achieved with fossil-based solutions until mid-2028.
After this date, 100% of energy savings must be achieved by renewable means.
However, “these fossil based energy savings cannot be taken into account when we talk about (...) going from a oil boiler to a gas boiler”, as Fuglsang pointed out during a press conference.
The vote for the whole Parliament will take place during the plenary session from 12 to 15 September in Strasbourg.
See the adopted text: https://aeur.eu/f/2m6 See the results of the vote: https://aeur.eu/f/2mj (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)