Workshop for journalists
Cutting Energy Consumption through Greater Efficiency
Proposal for a directive on energy efficiency
Tuesday 27 March 2012, 15:00 - 18:00 hrs
Wednesday 28 March 2012, 9:30 - 12:45 hrs
Room 7 C 050, Paul Henri Spaak Building, European Parliament, Brussels
Draft programme
Tuesday 27 March 2012
from 14:30
Arrival and registration (EP Press Entrance, rue Vautier)
Coffee outside the meeting room
15:00 - 15:30
Opening - Introduction to the workshop
Yannis Darmis & Paula Fernández Hervás, EP officials, Press Service
An introduction to the European Parliament
Decision-making in the European Union and the role of the Parliament
EP official, Visitors service
15:30 - 16:00
The Directive on energy efficiency - state of play
Technical briefing: proposals from the European Commission, procedures and state of
play in the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (off-therecord)
European Commission official
Kristina Elefterie, EP press officer for Industry, Research and Energy
Hannes Kugi, EP official, Industry, Research and Energy Committee
16:00 - 18:00
Energy efficiency - what is the impact from the perspective of consumers,
environment and industry
Exchange of views with stakeholders and representatives from other EU institutions
Representative of the Danish Presidency (tbc)
André MORDANT, Rapporteur, European Economic and Social Committee (tbc)
Representative of Energy Cities, the European Association of local authorities inventing their
energy future (tbc)
Representative of Eurelectric (tbc)
Representative of WWF (tbc)
Moderated by: EP official, Press Service
18:00
End
Reception (venue: outside meeting room PHS 7C050)
Interpretation: languages to be confirmed
Wednesday 28 March 2012
from 9:00
Arrival and registration (EP Press Entrance, rue Vautier)
9:30 - 10:00
Energy efficiency in the European Parliament
Historic perspective and challenges ahead
MEP Anni PODIMATA (S&D, EL), Vice-President and rapporteur on the Energy Efficiency
Labeling directive (tbc)
MEP Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS (EPP, ES), Vice-President and rapporteur on Energy
Efficiency or Doing More with Less (Green Paper) (tbc)
Moderated by: EP official, Press Service
10:00 - 12:30
The new proposal for energy efficiency directive
MEP Claude TURMES (GREENS/EFA, LU), Rapporteur
MEP Markus PIEPER (EPP, DE), Shadow rapporteur(tbc)
MEP Britta THOMSEN (S&D, DK), Shadow rapporteur (tbc)
MEP Fiona HALL (ALDE, UK), Shadow rapporteur (tbc)
MEP Vicky FORD (ECR, UK), Shadow rapporteur (tbc)
MEP Miloslav RANSDORF (GUE/NGL, CZ), Shadow rapporteur (tbc)
MEP Fiorello PROVERA (EFD, IT), Shadow rapporteur (tbc)
MEP Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), Draftsman of opinion ENVI (tbc)
Moderated by: EP official, Press Service
12:30 - 12:45
Closing remarks
MEP Claude TURMES (GREENS/EFA, LU), Rapporteur
12:45
End
Reception (venue: outside meeting room PHS 7C050)
Interpretation: languages to be confirmed
BACKGROUND
The press service of the European Parliament is organising a workshop with journalists on the new directive
on energy efficiency. The seminar will take place on March 27-28, a month after the vote in the Industry,
Research and Energy Committee and before the legislation is debated in the plenary.
Journalists from all Member States will have the opportunity to receive first hand update on the key
debates related to the directive as well as to exchange views with Members of Parliament, officials from
other EU institutions and stakeholders on the proposed legislation.
The directive on energy efficiency
The countdown to achieving Europe's 20% energy efficiency target for 2020 has already begun but without
increased action in the coming years, the EU will only achieve half of it.
Against a backdrop of rising EU imports of energy at rising prices, access to energy resources will in the
medium term play a more important role with the potential to risk seriously compromising EU economic
growth. Energy efficiency is the most cost-effective and fastest way to increase security of supply, and is an
effective way to reduce the greenhouse gases emissions responsible for climate change.
The proposal for new directive brings forward measures to step up Member States' 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. The proposal includes the following measures:
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A legal obligation to establish energy saving schemes in all Member States: energy distributors or retail
energy sales companies would be obliged to save 1.5 % annually on their energy sales, by volume.
Public bodies should push for market uptake of energy efficient products and services through annual
renovation works covering at least 3% of their total floor area.
Access to real-time and historical energy consumption data would empower consumers to better
manage their energy consumption.
Companies should audit their energy consumption in order to identify potential for reduced energy
consumption.
Monitoring efficiency levels of new energy generation capacities and planning of efficient heating and
cooling infrastructures, including recovery of waste heat.
Achieving efficiency gains in energy transmission and distribution by ensuring that national energy
regulators take energy efficiency criteria into account in their decisions, in particular when approving
network tariffs.
Parliament's response
The ITRE committee will vote on MEP Claude Turmes' report at the end of February. 1810 amendments
have been tabled so far by the MEPs. The key issue is the introduction of binding targets for Member
States, the method for their calculation, the base on which they will be calculated and should there be an
overall targets or industry specific targets. Other commented issues are the renovation target of public
buildings where many MEPs ask for more flexibility, the energy savings obligation schemes, the
Combined Heat & Power production and smart metering.
Overall many MEPs voiced concerns on whether imposing all these prescriptive measures/targets to
Member States is a wise choice given the current financial crisis while others advocated that energy savings
can create new jobs and of course produce economic savings in the long term.
Key dates:
Commission proposal:
Committee vote:
First reading in plenary:
22.06.2011
end Feb 2012
May 2012 (indicative date)
Interpretation: languages to be confirmed