National Energy Efficiency: a great gap between EU countries

According to an expert EU-funded study led by the Energy Efficiency Watch analysis and issued on 28th August 2013, an “enormous disparity” is registered between EU in the ambition and nature of energy efficiency policies implemented. “In some member states, the recognition of the economic, social, political and environmental benefits of energy efficiency drives ambitious legislation and funding programmes,” the report says, “whereas others just do the bare minimum required by the European Directives (and sometimes even less than that).” EU legislation requires states to submit National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAPs) in the years 2007, 2011 and 2014 outlining their plans to achieve indicative targets of 9% final energy savings by 2016, as required by the Energy Services Directive. The transport and a coherent policy packages for industry – including the carriage of goods – need to be overcome with more harmonisation and integration of policies. However, the member state NEEAPs’ screen for the survey also revealed that substantial progress had been made in the buildings sector and with energy saving public procurement. A lack of political will is generally spread, although not all Countries go at the same pace: Denmark and Bulgaria distinguished for their strategic planning, while public sector planning in France and the UK were praised for their clear vision. On the contrary, Italy, and the Czech and Slovak republics are the three countries where energy efficiency policies have progressed the least since the first NEEAP.