Brussels, 29/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 29 January in Brussels, as part of the 2nd Sustainable Energy Week, the interparliamentary meeting on renewable energy and energy efficiency organised by the Eurofores Forum, in which 60 national and European MPs attended, called for the strict implementation of objectives on renewable energies and energy saving (20% for each by 2020, as part of the EU's first energy cluster and final energy consumption. The president and vice president of Eurofores, as well as MEPs Mechtild Rothe (PES, Germany) and Claude Turmes (Greens, Luxembourg) welcomed the European Commission amendments to the draft directive on the promotion and use of renewables (energy and climate package: EUROPE 9586). This means that member states will not be able to transfer guarantees of origin towards other member states unless they have accomplished their intermediate objectives. According to the two MEPs the guarantee mechanisms (originally transferable) from the Commission probably underlined the support systems in some member states (Germany, Spain etc), which were seen as being effective in the development of green technologies. Turmes was pleased that, “the Commission didn't given into the electricity lobby from the big utilities by killing the successful guaranteed price systems, because only guaranteed price systems allow SMEs to invest in this market”. On the other hand, DG Euroflores criticised the lack of commitment by some member states in their national action plans for energy efficiency submitted by member states to the Commission in June 2007. Ms Rothe concluded that, “a few countries delivered comprehensive and promising plans. Energy efficiency has the cheapest and biggest potential for Europe to reduce energy import dependency and its CO2 emissions. The European Union cannot accept any longer the lack of will among some member states concerning the development and implementation of energy efficiency measures. Mr Turmes concluded that, “The Commission has to act on this with infringement procedures and new binding measures at EU level”. (E.H.)