EuroACE call to EU leaders: Leadership starts at home!

While European Union leaders were claiming global leadership after the Paris Agreement, in-house actions seemed to follow another path. The Council proposal on the Energy Efficiency Directive prepared ahead of the COREPER meeting of 14 June 2017 revealed a worrying mismatch between good intentions and actions.

The Maltese Presidency proposal sought to further weaken the energy savings obligation in Article 7. Its excessive allowance for flexibility, double-counting and exemptions would require Member States to realise only 10% to 20% of the current annual energy savings target of 1.5%, notably by counting all savings from new buildings regardless of whether they go beyond existing EU minimum requirements.

Buildings represent 40% of EU energy consumption, with over three quarters of them inefficient. Framed adequately, Article 7 has an enormous potential to drive energy renovation across the EU, and it should lead to real new energy savings in buildings and support the national long-term renovation strategies.

“Without strong signals and ambitious legislation in place on energy efficiency, not only does Europe risk its leadership in the climate change arena, but it will lose all the multiple benefits intrinsically connected with building renovation for its citizens,” said Adrian Joyce, Secretary General of EuroACE. “We need to have the right instruments and willingness to make the Paris agreement work.”