"The overall impression is that the issue of energy efficiency is not taken seriously enough" by EU member states, says a 27 June press release by Energy Efficiency Watch (EEW), an initiative jointly funded by the EU, industry associations and NGOs.
The Commission's energy efficiency action plan, which was backed by EU energy ministers in late 2006, mandates EU member states to put forward energy efficiency action plans by 30 June 2007 (EurActiv LinksDossier).
Most of the plans were delivered late, however, giving rise to criticism that member states have not given serious enough attention to improving the energy efficiency of their economies (see EurActiv 04/10/07 and 07/12/07).
Now that virtually all of the plans have been submitted to the Commission, the EEW has conducted a preliminary screening that critically assesses the plans based on a number of criteria, including the role of the public sector in promoting energy efficiency. The study was coordinated by EUFORES, the European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources, and the scrutiny of the action plans was carried out by the consultancy Ecofys in conjunction with the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy.
Member states' plans differ significantly according to their cultural and historical contexts, the screening found. "There is a considerable difference between member states which have already gained experience with energy efficiency policies for a long time and member states which focus more on the implementation of a basic structure," it says.
Many of the EU's new member states, including the Baltic States, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic, all fall under the category of those still requiring basic infrastructure upgrades. Other states, like Finland, the UK and Sweden, for example, have a longer tradition of implementing energy efficiency improvements, according to the screening.
In general, member states fall into three categories: those that "invested strong efforts in developing their plans," those which submitted plans that have already been adopted in other contexts at national level, and those that provided only short or draft plans, the screening found.
The EU has set legally binding targets of 20% less CO2 emissions and 20% renewable energy use by 2020. And although a separate goal of 20% more energy efficiency by 2020 exists, the target is not legally binding. This is fuelling growing criticism from some industries and stakeholders, who say that energy efficiency is the 'weakest link' in the EU's climate change and energy policy, and that many potential CO2 reduction opportunities are being missed through an over-emphasis on energy supply and emissions trading policies.
