The Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU is a European Union directive which mandates energy efficiency improvements within the European Union. It was approved on 25 October 2012 and entered into force on 4 December 2012. The directive introduces legally binding measures to encourage efforts to use energy more efficiently in all stages and sectors of the supply chain. It establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy efficiency within the EU in order to meet its energy efficiency headline target of 20% by 2020. It also paves the way for further improvements thereafter. The directive provides for the establishment of indicative national energy efficiency targets for 2020. Member states were to have submitted their National Energy Efficiency Action Plans by 30 April 2014, outlining the measures they have implemented to improve energy efficiency and their expected and/or achieved energy savings. In addition, member states are required to report annually on progress toward their national targets. The policy requirements in the directive are minimum obligations and member states may introduce more stringent measures. The Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU was preceded by the Energy Services Directive 2006/32/EC. This earlier directive contained a target of a 9% reduction in energy usage within 9years of the directive coming into force. The earlier directive also required EU members to submit National Energy Efficiency Action Plans, with the first plan to be lodged by 30 June 2007. On 23 July 2014, the European Commission announced a new target of a 30% improvement in energy efficiency by 2030.
Development
Documents leaked in show that the United Kingdom repeatedly fought to water down key measures during the development of the directive and forced some measures to become voluntary rather than mandatory. As a result, a new version of the directive allows member states to set their own energy efficiency targets, instead of the original requirement of a mandatory target of 20% improvement.
Measures
The directive promotes rules to remove barriers in energy markets and to overcome market failures that may impede the uptake of energy efficiency. Under the directive, the public sector is to play an exemplary role and consumers will have a right to know how much energy they consume. The following categories are covered by the directive:
availability of qualification, accreditation, and certification schemes
information and training
energy services
an energy efficiency national fund, financing, and technical support
other measures to promote energy efficiency
National Energy Efficiency Action Plans and Annual Reports
Individual National Energy Efficiency Action Plans for 2014 and Annual Reports for 2016 are available for download. Some national action plans have Wikipedia articles as well:
A 2014 study finds that, despite the directive being technically complex and lacking binding targets, it is an improvement over earlier European Union policy on energy efficiency. Notwithstanding, the document is weakened by the number of exemptions and the number of passages it contains requiring interpretation. The process of implementation is also subject to problems. A 2016 study examines the treatment of article7 of the directive by each of the 28 member states. Titled Energy efficiency obligation schemes, this key article requires that countries "implement energy efficiency obligations and/or alternative policy instruments in order to reach a reduction in final energy use of 1.5% per year". To fulfill this requirement, the member states have proposed very different policy measures and adopted very different calculation methods and monitoring and verification schemes. The study analyses each national action plan and estimates whether the projected savings are likely to materialise and whether these will be sufficient to meet the article7 target.
Future developments
Directive 2018/2002/EC has been adopted on 21 December 2018. It amends this one.
