EU Commission postponed the adoption of the action plan on energy efficiency

EU Commission released in June 2005 a Green Paper on energy efficiency ‘Doing more with less”, aiming at putting energy savings higher on the agenda. The document lists a number of options to save 20% of energy consumption by 2020 in a cost effective way through changes in consumer behaviour and energy efficient technologies. These savings would allow the EU to save an estimated €60 billion on its energy bill. The level of consumption in the EU could increase by 10% in the coming 15 years if nothing is done.

• The Green Paper recommends that « the increased energy efficiency and the promotion of clean urban transport should constitute explicit targets for the activity of the European Regional Development Fund ».

• Stating that “Half of all road transport fuel is burnt in built-up areas, despite the fact that half of all journeys in such areas are less than five kilometres in length”, the Green Paper ask how best practices in urban transport such as congestion charging in place in central London or High Occupancy Vehicules lanes like in Madrid could be expanded and generalised across EU.

• Acknowledging that public transport is a concern for national and local authorities, the Green Paper says EU should contribute to find solutions in the face of the deterioration in the quality of life which this problem causes, and which goes hand-in-hand with a truly enormous waste of energy.

Following the publication of the Green Paper EU Commission has organised a public consultation to gather the opinion of all stakeholders involved in order to shape an energy-efficiency action plan which was supposed to be adopted at the beginning of September.

However, the Commission postponed the adoption of the plan as it wishes to change its structure and strengthen its political message. The action plan could be adopted before the November energy council or in 2007 with the energy package.

ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/