The European Parliament’s Committee on Industry has backed a report by MEP Fiona Hall, which charges that Commission and EU member states have failed to make good on their energy efficiency commitments. In addition, the report calls for the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive to be revised so that all buildings requiring heating or cooling – regardless of size – are brought under its aegis.

In October 2006, the Commission put forward an EU Action Plan on Energy Efficiency, which was endorsed by heads of government at the March 2007 European Council. Progress has so far been poor according to the report, although the targets are “entirely feasible technically and economically”.

It says that implementation of existing legislation on energy efficiency is incomplete and behind schedule. Furthermore, only nine of the 27 member states having submitted their National Action Plans (NAPs) on energy efficiency by the end of August (30 June was the deadline for their submission). However, it is not just Member States that are lagging behind. Out of 21 actions due for completion by the European Commission in 2007, the report charged that only three had been completed by 1 September.

“Both the Commission and member-state governments have been guilty of a serious dereliction of duty over the implementation of energy-efficiency legislation”, says the report.

In addition, Fiona Hall expresses “grave concerns” about the likely effectiveness of the Commission’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan. “For the current Action Plan to work, previous legislation needs to have been implemented effectively. Nothing could be further from the case,” she says. She adds that more needs to be done to simplify and facilitate access to financing for energy efficiency improvements, including preferential bank loans and better use of structural funds, according to the report. Parliament is due to vote on the report in January next year.

www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/670/670363/670363en.pdf