Brussels, 30/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Council considers that the Communication on the promotion of energy efficiency and the action plan the European Commission presented in April as being a "decisive contribution to the promotion of energy efficiency and the concrete implementation of the commitment made in Kyoto". In conclusions adopted on Tuesday, the Energy Council globally backed the strategy defined by the Commission (see EUROPE of 28 April, p.8), confirming that: a) Community and national measures are needed to "lift the trade barriers that could prevent achieving energy savings"; b) "strengthen and extend policies already taken in this field"; c) "reflect on a better integration of the energy efficiency dimension in other Community policies"; d) envisage new measures.
It urges the Commission to: a) define more precisely coordination mechanisms with Member States; b) "rapidly" present proposals for the sub-programme Save and the 5th research framework programme that end in 2002; c) envisage modifications to improve energy efficiency when revising the Community framework for State aid in favour
of the environment, d) present as soon as possible detailed proposals and possibly harmonised surveillance methods, e) present a report on the state of progress in work at the next Energy Council.
On this basis, "we shall pursue the work on this key element for achieving the Kyoto objectives", declared European Energy Commissioner Loyola de Palacio, who cited energy savings in the building sector, "which represents 40% of consumption".