Brussels, 18/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - This Thursday, the Commission will adopt its action plan on energy efficiency. Giving shape to the 2004 Green Paper recommendations on energy efficiency, this ambitious action plan seeks to exploit the potential energy savings across the EU to save 20% of current primary energy consumption by 2020: reducing the fuel bill by almost €100 million per year - saving 390 million tonnes of oil equivalent - and 780 million tonnes of CO² emissions. The Commission's action plan proposes a series of cost-effective energy-saving initiatives for the next six years: targeted sectoral and horizontal measures to encourage better energy performance, measures to bring about behavioural change through price indications, measures to encourage technological innovation and awareness-raising measures (labelling, education and training of energy managers in industry and companies put in place by a Mayors' Convention from the 20 to 30 large European pilot cities to exchange best practice).
The aim is to mobilise all players (consumers, business, industry and services, as well as the energy sector and the public sector) to set in place a sustainable, institutional, technical and behavioural market leading to significant improvements in energy efficiency. The measures proposed by the Commission, which can be legislative (to enhance the existing European regulatory framework on energy efficiency) or non-legislative (minimum performance standards to be developed for 14 priority product groups) such as voluntary agreements in industry, will cover all sectors ranging from residential use to the transport sector and including the energy generation sector. Measures suggested include actions to make domestic appliances, buildings, transport, different energy processes and systems more efficient when it comes to energy consumption.
The Commission's action plan also contains a major international dimension as the Commission wants to promote energy efficiency throughout the world. To achieve this, it will take an initiative in 2007 in order to conclude an international framework agreement with its main trading partners and international organisations. (eh)