Lisbon makeover for EU energy efficiency paper
(27 Jun 05) Last minute rewrites have seen the green paper on energy efficiency emerge with a new competitiveness-oriented introduction. Originally due to be adopted last week, the discussion paper was officially presented by energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs on Wednesday. A reference to the the draft EU constitution's energy chapter has also been dropped following the constitution's rejection by French and Dutch voters.
Whereas an earlier version marked "final" opened by stressing the need to reduce Europe's dependence on energy imports, the adopted text says energy efficiency could "make a major contribution to EU competitiveness and employment". Sources said the change - and the delay in adoption - was due to internal disagreements over the relative importance of security of supply.
Mr Piebalg's office, however, says the new streamlined introduction is simply the version agreed to please all 25 EU commissioners following an unusually long period in inter-service consultation.
The European alliance of companies for energy efficiency Euroace welcomed the paper, and agreed with the Commission that it would "improve competitiveness... cut the need to import so much fuel... [and] be the most cost-effective way to achieve our Kyoto targets."
Gerald Strickland of the European lamp companies federation ELC said the green paper showed it was possible to save "millions of tonnes of CO2 and millions of euros of tax payer's money" through relatively simple changes.
Meanwhile a group of MEPs adopted an "Intelligent energy initiative" which calls for a target of saving 380 million tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe) by 2020, compared with 369 mtoe in the green paper.
Follow-up: European
Commission, tel +32 2 299 1111, plus final
green paper
See also reactions from Euroace, ELC,
Eurima,
and MEPs'
initiative.
Published with permission of ENDS Europe Daily
Back to the news index.
Sign up for the eceee news service (free of charge)