The European Parliament has urged the Commission to take action against member states not fully complying with existing EU energy-efficiency legislation that it says could slash energy consumption by 50% by the end of the next decade.
Measures already in force include a directive to reduce energy consumption in buildings, a directive promoting the combined generation of heat and electricity, a directive to reduce consumption of household products (eco-design). Another on energy end-use efficiency in electricity and gas delivery services has to be implemented too with the first national reports expected on 1 June 2007.
"Bearing in mind today's high oil prices, improving energy efficiency is the fastest, cheapest and most effective way to confront energy supply problems, to reduce the dependency on energy imports from unstable countries and to fight the effects of climate change", said Alejo Vidal-Quadras MEP (EEP-ED, Spain), who was reporting on the Commission's June 2005 Green Paper on Energy-efficiency.
The Parliament emphasised in particular the importance of the buildings sector, which accounts for 41% of total consumption in Europe. It also called on the Commission to table a directive for energy efficiency in transports, which stands as the second largest energy-hungry sector after housing at 31% of total consumption. It said the Commission should do more to encourage the use of 'clean' vehicles by the public sector and promote public transportation.
Housing and transport are currently not covered by the EU's emissions trading scheme, Europe's flagship instrument to reduce energy CO2 emissions under the Kyoto protocol on climate change. Industry, the third largest sector, accounts for 28% of the EU's total energy consumption and is largely covered by the scheme.
