BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsrekommandasjonen) 

(1) Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) introduced a requirement to achieve the headline target of at least 32,5 % energy savings at the Union level by 2030.

(2) Directive (EU) 2023/1791 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) was adopted on 13 September 2023. It recast Directive 2012/27/EU, keeping some of its provisions unchanged while, at the same time, introducing some new requirements. In particular, it significantly raised the level of ambition for 2030 in terms of energy efficiency, including on the Union’s 2030 energy efficiency targets and national contributions.

(3) Directive (EU) 2023/1791 sets a target for the Union to consume at least 11,7 % less energy by 2030 compared to the projected energy use for 2030 based on the 2020 EU reference scenario, which is 1 124 Mtoe for primary energy consumption and 864 Mtoe for final energy consumption. This translates into an indicative primary energy consumption target of 992,5 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) and a binding final energy consumption target of 763 Mtoe at Union level by 2030.

(4) For the Union to reach the final target by 2030, each Member State should notify an indicative national target for its 2030 final energy consumption, together with an indicative trajectory to achieve it, as part of its National Energy and Climate Plan by June 2024.

(5) Directive (EU) 2023/1791 introduces a formula in its Annex I to calculate, in a fair and transparent manner, indicative national contributions for all Member States, and for both primary and final energy consumption. The formula takes into account the Member State’s early efforts, wealth, energy intensity and potential for energy savings.

(6) It follows from Directive (EU) 2023/1791 that Member States have full flexibility on how the national contribution is calculated. However, in accordance with Article 4(2) of Directive (EU) 2023/1791, they are to ensure that their national contribution in Mtoe is not more than 2,5 % above what it would have been as the result of the formula of Annex I. In any case, Member States are to provide a description of how they calculated that target and what data were used to do so.

(7) To ensure the achievement of the Union’s 2030 energy efficiency targets, Directive (EU) 2023/1791 strengthens the governance mechanisms that were introduced by Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3). Directive (EU) 2023/1791 introduces an ambition gap mechanism for the final energy consumption target that will be triggered in case the sum of the targets notified by the Member States does not meet the binding Union target. Finally, it introduces a gap-filling mechanism that will be used to ask Member States to design and notify new measures if they deviate from their trajectory to their 2030 final energy consumption target.

(8) The introduction of the formula of Annex I to Directive (EU) 2023/1791 and the governance mechanisms do not limit the flexibility of Member States to decide on what targets they would set or how they would achieve them. However, these mechanisms ensure that all Member States will do their fair share of effort to achieve the collective binding Union-level target for final energy consumption, and as much as possible the collective indicative Union-level target for primary energy consumption.

(9) Member States can choose at their discretion the way of transposing and implementing the requirements regarding energy services, that is best suited to their national circumstances. In this context, it would be recommended to interpret the relevant provisions of Directive (EU) 2023/1791 in a consistent way which would contribute to a coherent understanding of Directive (EU) 2023/1791 across Member States as they prepare their transposition measures,