Commission proposal for an Energy Efficiency Directive

COM (2011) 370 Final

Orgalime welcomes the Commission’s proposal for an Energy Efficiency Directive to establish a common European framework for promoting energy efficiency bringing forward measures to step up efforts to use energy more efficiently at all stages of the energy chain: from the transformation of energy and its distribution to its final consumption.

Orgalime industries are fully committed to continuously improving the energy use in their own processes, to placing on the market ever more energy efficient products and technologies for the consumer to enjoy and to play its role in facilitating better informed consumer choices.

We consider the draft Directive as an opportunity to provide a common and holistic answer to the energy, climate change and resource efficiency challenges ahead by harmonising to the maximum extent possible current practices and efforts of the different member states: An as strong as possible European framework will not only provide a clear political signal for sustainable, growth enhancing energy efficiency investments, it will also help securing free movement, reducing Europe’s external energy bill that today is strongly dominated by energy imports, and it can contribute to help changing consumer behaviour to reduce their individual energy consumption and related costs.

We feel that the Commission’s proposal has in important areas proposed an as ambitious as possible way forward with concrete binding measures, while leaving a delicate level of flexibility to take into account early energy efficiency actions of member states and consequently their different levels of energy efficiency performance at this moment in time.

Orgalime also believes that a successful Directive needs to address the demand and supply side at the same time. This has been taken up in the Commission proposal, however, we propose tapping further the potential of energy efficiency improvements through additional supply side measures, especially with respect to the development of smart grids or a demand- response programme across Europe.