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Multiannual programme for the promotion of energy efficiency in the European Union (SAVE II), 1996-2000

 
The actions to be carried out under SAVE II are designed to complement current and past Community efforts to develop new energy technologies. SAVE II reinforces actions carried out under the 1991-1995 phase of the programme and has been expanded to incorporate, in particular, the Regional and Urban Energy Management action and the electricity end-use programme (PACE).

In addition to the experience the Commission gained from the implementation of the 1991-1995 phase of the SAVE programme, the content of SAVE II has been shaped by the following:

- Conclusions and recommendations of the group of experts who were responsible for carrying out an evaluation of the SAVE programme;
- Opinions expressed by the attendance of the 1994 SAVE conference in Florence;
- Initiatives formerly supported under the PACE and Regional and Urban Energy Management programmes;
- Evaluation of the national CO2 abatement programmes which have been developed by the Member States in response to the Council's CO2 limitation objective.

SAVE II is focused on reinforcing the energy efficiency activities of the Member States so as to obtain a reduction of the European Union's final consumption of energy (by about 60-70Mtoe by the year 2000) and to contribute to the achievement of the Community's commitment to reduce CO2 emissions.

For the period 1996-2000, the SAVE programme will continue to play an important role in promoting the penetration of energy technologies in the market place by acting as a policy instrument for the Community's energy technology programmes. In particular, SAVE II complements the Community's energy RTD and demonstration programmes (the specific programme under the Fourth Framework Programme in the area of non-nuclear energies and THERMIE) by identifying and articulating policies aimed at the removal of barriers, both institutional and financial, to the introduction of efficient energy technology.
To stimulate energy efficiency measures in all sectors; to encourage investments in energy conservation by private and public consumers and by industry; and to create the conditions for improving the energy intensity of final consumption.
Six categories of actions and measures:

- Studies and other related actions aimed at the implementation and completion of Community measures (such as voluntary agreements, mandates to standardization bodies, cooperative procurements and legislation) taken to improve energy efficiency, studies concerning the effects of energy pricing on energy efficiency, and studies with a view to establishing energy efficiency as a criterion within Community programmes;

- Sectoral targeted pilot actions aimed at accelerating energy efficiency investment and/or improving energy use patterns, to be carried out by organizations or public and private enterprises as well as by existing Community-wide networks or temporary groupings of organizations and/or enterprises formed to accomplish the projects;

- Measures proposed by the Commission to foster the exchange of experience aimed at promoting better coordination between international, Community, national, regional and local activities by appropriate means for information dissemination;

- Measures, as set out directly above, but proposed otherwise than by the Commission;

- Monitoring of energy efficiency progress in the Community and in individual Member States and ongoing evaluation and monitoring of the actions and measures undertaken under the programme;

- Specific actions in favour of energy management at regional and urban level and in favour of greater cohesion between Member States and regions in the field of energy efficiency.
The Commission is responsible for the implementation and financial execution of the programme, assisted by an advisory committee composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired by a representative of the Commission.

Each year, the Member States are required to report to the Commission on their national energy efficiency programmes with a view to assisting the Commission in formulating appropriate flanking measures. In addition, these national reports feed into the list of priorities for funding under the programme which are drawn up annually by the Commission. This list takes into account similarities between operations under SAVE II and the national programmes; priority is to be given to those areas where the degree of complementarity is the greatest.

A budget of ECU 45 million has been allocated to implement the actions under the programme. Financial support, covering 100% of costs, is provided by the Commission for the following actions:

- Studies and other related actions aimed at the implementation and completion of Community measures (such as voluntary agreements, mandates to standardization bodies, cooperative procurements and legislation) taken to improve energy efficiency, studies concerning the effects of energy pricing on energy efficiency, and studies with a view to establishing energy efficiency as a criterion within Community programmes;

- Measures proposed by the Commission to foster the exchange of experience aimed at promoting better coordination between international, Community, national, regional and local activities by appropriate means for information dissemination;

- Monitoring of energy efficiency progress in the Community and in individual Member States and ongoing evaluation and monitoring of the actions and measures undertaken under the programme.

Community funding covering up to 50% of total costs (the remainder of which is be made up from either private or public sources or a combination of both) is made available for the following actions:

- Sectoral targeted pilot actions aimed at accelerating energy efficiency investment and/or improving energy use patterns, to be carried out by organizations or public and private enterprises as well as by existing Community-wide networks or temporary groupings of organzations and/or enterprises formed to accomplish the projects;

- Measures - proposed by undertakings other than the Commission - to foster the exchange of experience aimed at promoting better coordination between international, Community, national, regional and local activities by appropriate means for information dissemination;

- Specific actions in favour of energy management at regional and urban level and in favour of greater cohesion between Member States and regions in the field of energy efficency.


It is envisaged that the participation on of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the activities covered by the programme will be funded from other Community resources.

After the third year of the programme, the Commission is required to present a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the energy efficiency measures undertaken at Community and Member State level and on the results achieved, with particular emphasis on the implementation of the programme's objectives. If necessary, the report is to be accompanied by proposals for any amendments which might be necessary to the programme in light of these results.

Upon completion of the programme, the Commission is to conduct an overall assessment of the results obtained on the application of the programme and on the consistency of national and Community measures. This assessment will form the basis of a final report to be submitted to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.