Brussels, 09/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - By adopting on 7 June, in first reading and by a large majority, the report by German Social Democrat, Mechtild Rothe, on the draft directive on energy efficiency in final use of energy services, MEPs have indicated that they are calling for a more flexible model and stricter objectives, in an effort to encourage Member States make energy savings.
During the debate, Rothe underlined that, “without losing economic efficiency gains or losing out on comfort, there is an energy saving potential in the Community of between 20%-30%”. Although the Commission is proposing constraints on Member States to economise an annual quantity of energy equal to 1% of energy distributed or sold to end users, MEPs want to set binding and more ambitious objectives every three years: therefore, energy saving could reach 3% over the period 2006-09 but this rate cold be increase to 4% for 2009-12 (an annual average of 1.3%), then 4.5% for 2012-15 (annual average of 1.5%). MEPs also supported the idea of Ms Rothe proposing more ambitious goals for the public sector, which is supposed to set an example and the obligation of making energy efficiency a criterion for assessing and adjudicating public procurement. MEPs from the main political groups (EPP, PES, ALDE and the Greens/EFA) also agree that Member States should have the chance to agree on differentiated and binding objectives that take into account the levels of energy efficiency reached by each of them but also for setting benchmarks for improving energy efficiency on a European scale on the basis of sector indicators. The Rothe report highlights the setting up of a “transparent and non-bureaucratic system” for measuring and verifying efforts made by Member States and recommended measures for informing citizens and customers of energy saving opportunities. MEPs support the introduction of incentives for implementing a genuine energy services market. In this context, they approved the obligation on Member States to ensure that distributors and suppliers offer energy services to their customers. However, they did reject obligations on these same energy distributors and suppliers to provide audits to their customers to assess their energy saving needs if 5% of their customers are not covered by such energy services.
During the debate, the Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs welcomed the “coherency of the amendments strengthening the Commission's proposal”. Piebalgs underlined that the Commission and Parliament would succeed in convincing the Council of this need. The Greens very warmly welcomed the Rothe report. Luxembourg MEP Claude Turmes stated, “this vote demonstrates that all political groupings at the Parliament see that energy efficiency has an essential role to play in the Union's energy and climate policies”. The Greens, however, regret “the enormous opportunities for energy efficiency are not entirely covered by binding objectives” and that their much more ambitious approach (the Greens, supported by non-governmental organisations, Greenpeace and the WWF, are demanding energy saving rates of 2.5% a year and 3% for the public sector) was not followed. As requested by Parliament, the Greens are calling on the Council to stop beating around the bush and agree to binding objectives, insisted Mr Turmes. British Liberal, Fiona Hall said that the ALDE had also welcomed the report. In a press statement Hall said that Parliament had sent out a strong message explaining that Europe needed to limit the growth in its energy consumption for the good of its economy and environment. She also underlined that the adoption of the amendment introducing a system of more regular and more accurate pricing based on measured consumption through better performing gas and electricity meters.