Commission moves to simplify Community legislation in the energy sector At the instigation of the Energy Commissioner, Christos Papoutsis, the Commission has adopted a report and communication to the Council reviewing Community energy legislation with a view to ensuring simplification and subsidiarity. This is in response to a request made by the ... At the instigation of the Energy Commissioner, Christos Papoutsis, the Commission has adopted a report and communication to the Council reviewing Community energy legislation with a view to ensuring simplification and subsidiarity. This is in response to a request made by the Energy Council of 29 November 1994. The Commission's report indicates which legislative instruments should be repealed, which should not be repealed, and which should be maintained for the time being. The report was drawn up on the basis of the Molitor Group's proposals for action and the outcome of the formal consultation of the SAVE Advisory Committee (with regard to provisions concerning energy efficiency) and the Oil Supply Group. In total, the report concerns some 20 Council and Commission acts, including regulations, directives, recommendations and resolutions. In particular, the Commission proposes to repeal 14 pieces of legislation and to reformulate Council Regulation 1056/72 on investment projects of interest to the Community in the petroleum, natural gas and electricity sectors. This move to simplify Community energy legislation falls within the framework of the Commission's commitment to carry out an overall review of Community legislation with a view to streamlining and simplifying certain legislative texts for economic operators, in particular small businesses. The legislative acts to be repealed include: - Council recommendation 76/492/EEC of 4 May 1976 on the rational use of energy by promoting the thermal insulation of buildings; - Council recommendation 76/493/EEC of 4 May 1976 on the rational use of energy in the heating systems of existing buildings; - Council recommendation 77/712/EEC of 25 October 1977 on the regulating of space heating, the production of domestic hot water and the metering of heat in new buildings; - Council recommendation 79/167/ECSC, EEC, Euratom of 5 February 1979 on the reduction of energy requirements for buildings in the Community; - Commission recommendation 88/285/EEC of 29 March 1988 on third party financing; - Council recommendation 76/496/EEC of 4 May 1976 on the rational use of energy for electrical household appliances; - Commission recommendation 80/823/EEC of 29 July 1980 on the rational use of energy in industrial enterprises. - Council Regulation 1038/79 (EEC) of 24 May 1979 on Community support for a hydrocarbon exploration project in Greenland; - Council Regulation 1055/72 (EEC) of 18 May 1972 on notifying the Commission of imports of crude oil and natural gas and its corresponding implementing Regulation No 1068/73; - Council Regulation 3254/74 (EEC) of 17 December 1974 applying Regulation (EEC) No 1055/72 on notifying the Commission of imports of crude oil and natural gas to petroleum products falling within subheadings 27.10 A, B, C I and C II of the Common Customs Tariff and its corresponding implementing Regulation No 2677/75; - Council Regulation 388/75 (EEC) of 13 February 1975 on notifying the Commission of exports of crude oil and natural gas to third countries and its corresponding implementation Regulation No 2678/75. Acts which the Commission believes should not be repealed include: - Council recommendation 77/713/EEC of 25 October 1977 on the rational use of energy in industrial undertakings; - Council Directive 78/170/EEC of 13 February 1978 on the performance of heat generators for space heating and the production of hot water in new or existing non-industrial buildings and on the insulation of heat and domestic hot-water distribution in new non-industrial buildings; - Council Directive 76/491/EEC of 4 May 1976 regarding a Community procedure for information and consultation on the prices of crude oil and petroleum products in the Community. Acts which the Commission believes should be maintained for the time being include: - Council Decision 77/186/EEC of 14 February 1977 on the exporting of crude oil and petroleum products from one Member State to another in the event of supply difficulties; - Council Decision 77/706/EEC of 7 November 1977 on the setting of a Community target for a reduction in the consumption of primary sources of energy in the event of difficulties in the supply of crude oil and petroleum products; - Council Directive 75/339/EEC obliging the Member States to maintain minimum stocks of fossil fuel at thermal power stations.
