BAKGRUNN (fra Kommisjonens pressemelding 28.9.2021)

Commission publishes recommendation and guidelines on the energy efficiency first principle

The European Commission has published today a new recommendation and guidelines on the energy efficiency first principle with a view to converting the concept from a principle into practice. While energy efficiency has been a key element of EU policy on emissions reduction for some time now, the energy efficiency first principle was officially written into EU law with the adoption of the 2019 Governance Regulation. This highlighted the essential role energy efficiency plays and the importance of including it in planning processes and investment decisions, for example, through incorporating it in Member States’ National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).

Today’s recommendation and guidelines therefore aim at encouraging proper implementation of the energy efficiency first principle and making it more operational. The recommendation to EU Member States identifies specific actions be taken to ensure proper application of the principle, while the accompanying guidelines support practical implementation of the principle with practical solutions and refer to measures across different sectors, ranging from the energy supply and distribution to the end-use sectors.

The two document published today build on the new article of the Commission proposal for revising the Energy Efficiency Directive, published on 14 July 2021, which sets an obligation for EU countries to ensure that energy efficiency solutions are considered in energy system and non-energy sectors planning, policy and investment decisions.

In the wake of today’s publications, the Commission has organised a special event this afternoon on the ‘Energy Efficiency First Principle’. Aimed at stakeholders from the different, most relevant sectors, the half-day event will illustrate what energy efficiency first means specifically for their sector and how it might be applied in practice. Following an opening speech by DG Energy’s Commissioner Ms Kadri Simson, the event will also launch the work of the Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions Group (EEFIG) Working Group on Energy Efficiency First. The aim of this working group is to explore and facilitate the application of the principle specifically in the finance sector.