Energy end-use efficiency and energy services

PURPOSE: to enhance the cost-effective improvement of energy end-use efficiency in the Member States.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy end-use efficiency and energy services and repealing Council Directive 93/76/EEC.

CONTENT: in agreeing on this Act the EU intends to contribute towards the improved security of energy supply as well as reducing the emission of dangerous greenhouse gases. Improved energy end-use efficiency will make it possible to exploit potential cost-effective energy savings in an economically viable way. The realisation of the Directive’s principle objective, i.e. the cost-effective improvement of energy end-use efficiency in the Member States, will be achieved by setting energy savings targets of 9% for the ninth year of the Directive’s application. In other measures, the Directive sets out provisions which create the conditions needed for the development and promotion of a market for energy services and for the delivery of other energy efficiency improvement measures for final consumers.

In addition to setting a 9% target, the Directive obliges the Member States to prepare three national energy efficiency action plans (EEAP). The public sector is expected to fulfil an exemplary role in achieving the objective’s of this Directive and must invest, maintain and ensure that related expenditure on energy-using equipment, is spent bearing energy-efficiency in mind. Rules on improved consumer information and energy consumption are spelt out as are provision on better metering and the billing of energy consumption.

The first energy efficiency action plan must be submitted no later than 30 June 2007.

TRANSPOSITION: 17 May 2008. For Article 14 (1), (2) and (4) relating to the Reporting requirements of the EEAPs, the deadline for transposition is 17 May 2006.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 17 May 2006.