Parliament on Tuesday confirmed the provisional agreement
reached with the Council in June on energy efficiency (434
votes to 104 with 37 abstentions), renewables (495 votes to
68 with 61 abstentions) and governance of the Energy Union
(475 votes to 100 with 33 abstentions) - three important
legislative files that are part of the Clean Energy for All
Europeans package.
By 2030, energy efficiency in the EU has to have improved
by 32.5%, whereas the share of energy from renewables
should be at least 32% of the EU’s gross final consumption.
Both targets are to be reviewed by 2023. These targets can
only be raised, not lowered.
Lower energy bills and the right to become a
renewable self-consumer
By making energy more efficient, Europeans will see their
energy bills reduced. In addition, Europe will reduce its
reliance on external suppliers of oil and gas, improve
local air quality and protect the climate.
For the first time, member states will also be obliged to
establish specific energy efficiency measures to the
benefit of those affected by energy poverty.
Member states must also ensure that citizens are entitled
to generate renewable energy for their own consumption, to
store it and to sell excess production.
Moving towards second-generation biofuels
Second generation biofuels can play a significant role in
reducing the carbon footprint of transport and at least 14%
of fuel for transport purposes must come from renewable
sources by 2030.
However, first generation biofuels with a high risk of
“indirect land use change” (ILUC i.e. when land is
converted from non-crop cultivation - such as grasslands
and forests- to food production, which increases CO2
emissions) will no longer count towards the EU’s renewable
energy goals from 2030. From 2019, the contribution of
first generation biofuels to these goals will gradually be
phased out until it reaches zero in 2030.
New governance to achieve the Energy Union
Each member state must present a ten-year “integrated
national energy and climate plan” with national targets,
contributions, policies and measures by 31 December 2019,
and every ten years thereafter.
Quotes
Energy efficiency rapporteur Miroslav Poche (S&D,
CZ) said: “Increased energy efficiency is a
win-win policy for all Europeans. It is a good deal for our
citizens, as it will bring about major reductions in energy
consumption, thus reducing bills. But it is also great news
for the competitiveness of European industry, reducing
costs and stimulating investment.”
The rapporteur for renewables José
Blanco López (S&D, ES) said: “We
disincentivised investments in new production of food
crop-based biofuels and we have pushed for advanced
biofuels. We also managed to strengthen self-consumption as
a right, and included the Parliament's wish for a ban on
charges and fees on self-consumed energy until 2026.”
Next steps
Once the Council formally adopts the deal, the new rules
will be published in the Official Journal, and enter into
force 20 days after publication. The regulation on
governance will be directly applied in all member states,
whereas member states will have to transpose the new
elements of the other two directives into national law no
later than 18 months after its entry into force.
