Policy briefing on the new Energy Efficiency directive (EED)
The revised version of the EU directive on energy efficiency is now out and underlines the key-role of energy agencies!
The final version of the EU directive on Energy Efficiency (EED) has been officially published on the 20th of September in the European official journal.
After months of tense negotiations, the co-legislators both agreed on the compromise text by the end of August.
The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) is the key legislation setting the overall framework to deliver energy savings across the European Union. It was established in 2012 and revised two times, in 2018 and more recently in 2023.
The EED sets the 2030 EU energy efficiency target and a series of measures that contribute to its achievement.
New ambitions, new objectives
To be compliant with the European Green Deal objective of climate neutrality by 2050 and with the Fit for 55 provisions to 2030, the EED sets improved objectives for energy consumption reduction. It shall reach 11,7 % in 2030 (it was only 2% in the previous version of the law). And, for the first time in European energy efficiency policy, the EU target for final energy is made binding.
The law also sets a more ambitious target of annual end-use energy savings, with an average rate of 1.49% over 2024-2030 (compared with only 0.8% in the previous version).
A game-changer for energy agencies
For the first time in EU energy policy history, energy agencies are mentioned and acknowledged in the law:
- In Article 5, energy agencies are mentioned as relevant stakeholders in the inclusion of energy efficiency measures in local and regional planning.
- In Article 22, they are pointed out as a key relay of information to regional and local stakeholders and are acknowledged as key enablers of one-stop shops. Moreover, this article also requires Members States that they provide transparent and full information to energy agencies, and ensure multilateral dialogue with energy agencies on measures and incentives for building renovation.
Energy agencies play a crucial role in implementing the energy transition at the local and regional levels. Europe’s recognition of this is paving the way for more effective multi-level governance to fulfill the objectives of the directive, as 2030 is around the corner. Therefore, the new EED will need to be implemented quickly to ensure energy efficiency measures are accelerated to the benefit of EU citizens.
Member States have two years from the entry into force to transpose the new provisions, which must also be included in the update of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), due by 30 June 2024.
What now?
FEDARENE calls on the Member states to enhance cooperation with energy agencies and local and regional authorities in this process. Find more information in the FEDARENE press release.
Don’t hesitate to share around this press release, in you region, in your country, to call on your member-state to acknowledge the new provisions of the EED towards energy agencies, to reach energy efficiency targets.
