States’ energy proposals anger Commission

Changes to efficiency rules would leave EU far short of targets, Commission will tell ministers.

The European Commission is expected to express its disappointment with member states’ proposed changes to the energy-efficiency directive when energy ministers meet informally in Denmark on Friday.

In a non-paper to be presented to the ministers, seen by European Voice, the Commission concludes that the European Council’s version of the directive, provisionally agreed among member states on 3 April, would not get the EU anywhere near its target of improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020.

“It looks like the Commission is starting to defend its own analysis for once, rather than pandering to the Council,” observed Brook Riley from Friends of the Earth, an environmental campaign group.

The Commission’s analysis found that the Council’s proposals would reduce consumption by only 58.1 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe). The Commission’s proposal would reduce consumption by 151.5 Mtoe. The Council’s changes reduce the amount of building renovation required of public authorities, ease energy-efficiency obligations and remove several obligations.

Savings of 202 Mtoe are needed to reach the 20% target, something the European Parliament’s version of the directive would do.

Trilogue discussions between the three institutions are due to begin next Wednesday (25 April), but may be postponed.

The Commission’s paper notes that some of the changes proposed by the Council would result in less efficient energy use than under the rules that the directive is meant to replace. This could reinforce concerns that the Commission might withdraw its proposal if member states do not relent.

Withdrawal would be deeply humiliating for Denmark, which has put a first-reading agreement on the energy-efficiency directive at the heart of its environment agenda for its six-month presidency of the Council. Denmark has stressed that the negotiating mandate agreed on 3 April is still open to discussion, and could change based on Friday’s informal meeting.

An analysis by the Smart Energy Demand Coalition published today (18 April) concluded that the Council’s version of the directive would deprive business of €3.5 billion and €5.0bn a year in potential new, direct revenues. They also said that member states have removed several provisions that would empower consumers to use energy more efficiently.