Main objective of opinion: Contribute with amendments towards the final version of the new Energy Efficiency Directive, cf the EC proposal COM (2011)370 final; to stress the role of local and regional authorities in the process of its implementation; to reiterate previous CoR position on enenergy efficiency; call for adequate funding for LRAs and their involvement in the esign of national implementation measures
*Impact report 2011 (CdR 778/2012): *
The opinion on "Energy efficiency" proposes amendments to the final version of the new Energy Efficiency Directive in the EC proposal, stressing the role of local and regional authorities in its implementation, reiterating previous CoR positions on energy efficiency and calling for adequate funding for local and regional authorities and for them to be involved in the drawing up of national implementation measures. The European Parliament's draft includes certain elements and ideas which also appear in the CoR opinion, such as:
• mentioning municipalities, and the proposal for public bodies only to purchase products, services and buildings with the highest energy efficiency performance;
• deleting the paragraph regarding the system of mutual recognition of energy savings.
THE COMMITEE OF THE REGIONS
- points to the great importance of respecting the powers of different levels of governance and the subsidiarity principle when applying energy efficiency measures;
- welcomes the proposal for a directive under review and the Commission's proposed energy efficiency measures which are aimed at achieving a 20% cut in primary energy consumption by 2020;
- considers that the proposal for a directive on energy efficiency contains a number of shortcomings, e.g.:
- the limited range of areas in which the measures will apply;
- the minor role assigned to regional and local actors;
- the absence of measures to raise public awareness beyond those taken to promote real-time consumer information on energy consumption;
- rejects the proposal that the public sector should be required to renovate 3% of its buildings annually and purchase high-energy-performance products, services and buildings.