13/03/24 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission has announced the second round of debates on energy efficiency, taking place between 15 and 17 March, involving a panel of 150 randomly selected EU citizens. Initial discussions focused on how the EU can prioritise energy efficiency and identified a number of areas for further analysis: energy infrastructure, transport and buildings (see EUROPE 13357/31). At this new session in March, the citizens will address the main obstacles they believe are holding back progress, such as a lack of skilled labour, information, investment, adequate policies and regulations, and disproportionate bureaucracy. The aim is to formulate recommendations that will influence future EU legislation, including a draft recommendation on the “energy efficiency first” principle, due at the end of the year. (PLD)