Energy efficiency

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) welcomes the agreement reached between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on the proposal for a European directive on energy efficiency.

Thanks notably to the lobbying undertaken by CEMR’s focus group, local and regional authorities are now excluded from having to reach the binding annual target for the renovation of publicly owned buildings.  They are also exempt from having to purchase only products, services and buildings with high energy efficiency performance.

Throughout the legislative process, CEMR has advocated the need for flexibility when identifying and implementing the most cost-effective measures in order to achieve greater energy efficiency and tailor these to each local, regional and national context and financial means.

The final text of the directive should be formally adopted by the European Parliament at its plenary session in September 2012.  If indeed adopted, member states will have to comply with the directive by spring of 2014.