On Friday the 4th of February, the European Union (EU) Council on Energy and Innovation will bring Prime Ministers of the 27 member states together to discuss energy issues. Energy efficiency will also be discussed at the summit, and it's good that this issue is finally getting the high profile exposure that is deserves.
It's essential that EU leaders work to safeguard energy saving commitments that were previously made by the block, by continuing to work to meet them rather than just worry that they are not being achieved. We need to ensure that the existing 20% energy saving target by 2020 is reached. If the EU continues the way it has so far, it will only achieve half of the target, according to a recent report by the European Climate Foundation. Late last week the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported, citing an internal European Commission document, that Germany is likely to achieve only 12.8% of this target.
The Ecodesign Directive implementation process also moved frustratingly slowly in 2010. This week's meeting of Prime Ministers is an opportunity to achieve the required momentum to deliver on minimum energy savings requirements for products.
The European Commission and heads of state need to send a clear signal that together, EU member countries are ready to launch new legislative proposals and policy initiatives to achieve an ambitious energy savings target. This target now needs to become binding as opposed to indicative - to send signal to all policy makers that this issue is finally being taken seriously.
In addition, the block's new Energy Efficiency Action Plan - which is to emerge before summer - should push for faster processes and more ambitious minimum efficiency requirements for products. We also hope that minimum requirements for boilers and water heaters, the products with the highest energy saving potential, will finally be decided by this summer after so many delays.
(By Christian Debono, energy savings campaign officer at the European Environmental Bureau)