Today, the European Commission presented the draft Energy Efficiency Directive which should allow
the EU to meet its 20 % energy savings target by 2020. The proposal is however unlikely to allow this
crucial target to be met and even falls behind the measures announced in the Energy Efficiency Plan.
The directive invites the Commission to assess by 30th June 2014 whether Member States are on track
to meeting the 20 % target. Experts agree that corrective measures implemented at that stage would
come too late to lead to effective results by 2020. The proposal ignores the complex structure of the
construction supply chain, which would have to deliver the lion’s share of the required savings.
By completely removing the option to impose binding targets if progress is sluggish, the Commission
will have no legal basis to adopt more ambitious actions.
“We recognise that the Commission was not prepared to propose a binding deep renovation target for
Europe’s building stock, although this would have offered the most reliable long-term framework for
industry, real estate markets and politicians alike.” said Oliver Loebel, Secretary General of PU Europe.
“However, the Commission’s announcement to replace binding targets by binding measures was only
partially followed by concrete action”.
PU Europe welcomes the proposal to renovate 3 % of public buildings every year. However, bringing
them only to minimum standards will lead to a significant untapped savings potential and, ultimately,
lead to higher costs for public authorities. The 3 % should refer to deep renovations realising the full
cost-optimal savings potential. Furthermore, the commitment should apply to all public buildings,
including social housing stock.
While energy savings obligations can make a contribution to achieving the 20 % target, the proposed
directive remains vague on calculation methods and does not encourage deep renovation based on a
holistic building assessment. Furthermore, clearer provisions to ensure a level playing field for other
actors in the energy services sector are required.
“The energy efficiency industry will continue to offer solutions to all aspects of energy saving
measures. But we need a high level discussion platform with the European Commission to establish an
effective dialogue and work towards a legal framework that truly stimulates energy savings” Loebel
concluded.
For more details, please contact
PU Europe
Email: secretariat@pu-europe.eu Website: www.pu-europe.eu
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22nd June 2011