With the EU set to miss its target for reducing energy consumption by 2020, stakeholders have criticised the EU for lowering its ambitions.
By the Commission's own admission, the EU is set to miss its target to slash its energy consumption by 20% by 2020, telling EurActiv in December that the 27-member bloc is poised to reduce its energy consumption by only 9%.
Despite the shortcomings, EU leaders are expected to agree at Friday's summit to review energy-efficiency policy only in 2013, instead of 2012 as previously planned, and plan to consider further measures only ''if necessary''.
The Hungarian climate minister said last week that he could not see member states agreeing to a binding target because at least half of the ministers were against it.
Frustration
A group of industry stakeholders and environmental NGOs expressed frustration with the non-binding nature of the 20% energy savings target.
According to industry representatives, the know-how for increasing energy efficiency is available but not being used, as consumers tend to opt for cheaper, less efficient technology.
Only by making the target binding, they argue, could the use of such technology be kick-started. In the past, renewable energies saw a boost when the target for renewables was made binding.
Industry representatives and NGOs argued that although up to €300 million would be available for investment in energy efficiency over the next 10 years, member states had limited the available funds to only half that sum.
In a context of crisis, member states are fearful of any additional constraints on their economic policy.
But NGO and industry representatives accused governments of lacking ''ambition'' in this respect.
Stakeholders pointed to the danger of ''locking in'' low efficiency levels due to the long lifetimes of buildings and many domestic appliances.
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso recently made moves towards achieving 20% energy savings as the Commission included energy efficiency as a top priority in its latest 'Energy 2020' strategy.
Nonetheless, draft summit conclusions place a strong focus on greater energy security and better grids rather than on efficiency.
They only mention energy-efficiency standards ''in public procurement for new buildings and services'' as of 2012, a concession stakeholders found negligible.
