Opinion Piece

After including gas and nuclear in the EU taxonomy, does this now mean the EU institutions wish to see nuclear and fossil fuels as renewable energy sources?

The ongoing negotiations regarding the recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) hold great significance in realizing the Fit for 55 and REPowerEU objectives. The proposed legislation aims to expedite energy efficiency during this decade, which could potentially enhance the EU's energy independence while reducing energy expenses for businesses and citizens alike. Alongside representatives from both the supply and demand sectors, we express our concerns over the EU's 2030 energy efficiency target in primary energy, which is currently being questioned by the Council of the EU in their general approach to the EED. If the target is deprioritized by making it indicative, it could lead to the dismissal of the overall energy system's efficiency and its associated advantages, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs for consumers. Read the full letter sent to Kadri Simson – European Commissioner for Energy, Ebba Busch – Swedish Minister for Energy, Business Industry and Deputy Prime Minister, and Niels Fuglsang – Member of the European Parliament. Full Letter here

The European Commission has focused on the electricity and gas aspects of the winter energy crisis. Now it is vital to focus on the critical yet often overlooked issue of heating. Heating is the largest source of European and global energy consumption yet it barely features in political discourse. However, heating buildings, services, industry, horticulture and aquaculture need solutions today in order to address the combined energy, climate, food security and economic crises.

The second half of 2021 witnessed a new energy crisis which led to skyrocketing electricity, oil and gas prices. For geothermal the story was different. Geothermal heating, cooling and power plants continued to provide baseload energy at competitive prices. In the midst of this, and potential military conflict and weeks after COP26 the European Commission proposed to increase the market share of imported fossils.

A briefing on recent and upcoming energy policy in the EU EGEC presents you its third Statement on the European energy policies and strategies, with a special topic: What does ambition mean in climate & energy policy?

A briefing on recent (the last 6 months) and upcoming energy policy in the EU and in some European countries. Last autumn the political agenda in Brussels has been fed with a series of new policy initiatives focusing on energy and climate: the European Commission's communications on the buildings renovation wave, the offshore strategy, the 2030 Climate Target Plan, and the legislation on TEN-E. The European Commission has also launched the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive.

This is the first in a series of annual perspectives on the orientation and effectiveness of EU energy and climate policy.