Energy efficiency debate hots up
The issue of energy efficiency in the EU looks set to gain a higher public profile with both the European Commission and the European Parliament now pressing for an EU strategy for rational energy use. At a public hearing on energy efficiency held by the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, external trade, research and energy at the end of March, the Commission announced its intention to present a Community action plan for rational energy use from 2002 to 2010. MEPs welcomed the idea of such a plan, which the Commission has indicated will devote considerable attention to information technologies and international cooperation - especially on labelling. The Commission believes there would be no need for new legislation to achieve better energy saving in the EU as measures could build on existing initiatives. Other speakers at the hearing underlined the need to reinvigorate commitment both at Community and Member State level to promote energy efficiency more actively, especially in the light of the Kyoto agreement to reduce energy emissions. Winding up the hearing, Gordon Adam (PES, UK) said that, in his experience, promoting energy efficiency was much harder than people might think. He stressed the need to allocate substantial financial support to Community energy efficiency programmes and called for energy efficiency indicators to be introduced. He also pointed out that there is no direct link between increased energy efficiency and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, which depended on a reduction in the use of fossil fuels.