A Commission official speaking at a conference on Tuesday (11 February) said the EU's energy efficiency action plan adopted in 2006 (see EurActiv LinksDossier) is falling short of reaching the bloc's objective of improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. She observed that only around a third of the 85 measures listed in the plan had been implemented so far.
The action plan is up for its mid-term re-evaluation in 2009, and the Commission will propose a revision by the end of the year. This will reportedly include additional policies where necessary.
Ferran Tarradellas, spokesperson for Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, told EurActiv that a revision of the action plan was justified by the extended scope of Community legislation introduced to the field in the past year. He singled out the extension of the product list for the Eco-Design Directive (EurActiv 17/10/08) and the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (17/10/08) as prominent examples of measures that need to be taken into account in the action plan.
"If you look at the Second Strategic Energy Review, proposed in November, you will see that it says the aim is 'to go beyond 20%'," he stressed, adding that the commissioner has made energy efficiency his number one priority and an up-to-date action plan is appropriate in this context.
Details of the content of the future plan have not been settled yet, he said.
A cornerstone of a more effective policy is the financing issue. Karl Kellner, an adviser for new and renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency and innovation at the EU executive, said yesterday (11 February) that the Commission is actively investigating how to increase the impact of existing funds, and developing proposals to address the problematic issue of who will finance the ambitious efficiency measures.
He highlighted the Sustainable Energy Financing Initiative as a key component to help mobilise large-scale private funding for investments in energy efficiency as well as financing for cleaner energies. The Commission is currently preparing the initiative with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other financial organisations, he said.
Meanwhile, the EIB is set to increase its financing for climate change and energy infrastructure by as much as €6 billion per year, while the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will double its efforts for energy efficiency, climate change and financing for municipalities, he stated.
