Promotion of energy efficiency in the Community (SAVE programme), 1991-1995

In its Resolution of 15 January 1985 on the improvement of energy saving programmes in the Member States (Official Journal No C 20 of 22.1.1985) the Council invited the latter to pursue and, where necessary, increase their efforts to promote the more rational use of energy by the development of integrated energy-saving policies.

In its Resolution of 16 September 1986 concerning new Community energy policy objectives for 1995 and the convergence of the policies of the Member States (Official Journal No C 241 of 25.9.1986) the Council considered that the energy policy of the Community and the Member States should endeavour to achieve the objective of more secure conditions of supply through a vigorous policy for energy saving and the rational use of energy. It further adopted for the Community the objective of achieving a more rational use of energy through improved energy efficiency and decided that the efficiency of final demand should be improved by at least 20% by 1995.

The Commission, in its Communication to the Council of 8 February 1990 on energy and the environment, stressed that energy efficiency had to be increased to reduce the negative impact of energy on the environment.
To achieve a more rational use of energy through improved energy efficiency with a view to procuring more secure conditions of energy supply in the Community and to reducing the negative impact of energy on the environment.
Four categories of action:

- Technical evaluations for assessing the data needed for defining technical standards or specifications;

- Measures to support the Member States' initiatives for extending or creating infrastructures concerned with energy efficiency, including:
. Training and information activities with regard to energy efficiency at a level as close as possible to the final consumers of energy;
. Sectoral pilot projects to be implemented at a level as close as possible to the final consumers of energy, including:
Pilot studies on least-cost planning and demand-side management; feasibility studies on cogeneration projects involving institutional or organizational innovations; sectoral targeting and monitoring of energy efficiency; sectoral audits; pilot projects in the transport sector; e.g. improving traffic flow in towns, toll systems, etc.; pilot projects on third-party financing within the framework of the European network for third-party financing (excluding Community participation in the direct financing of an investment);

- Measures to foster the creation of an information network aimed at promoting better coordination between national, Community and international activities through the establishment of appropriate means for exchanging information and at evaluating the impact of the various measures financed under the programme;

- Measures to implement the programme for improving the efficiency of electricity use adopted by Council Decision 89/364/EEC.
The Commission is responsible for implementing the programme, assisted by an advisory committee composed of the representatives of the Member States and chaired by the representative of the Commission.

Four categories of action on energy efficiency are financed under the programme: technical evaluations; measures to support the Member States' initiatives concerning energy efficiency infrastructures; measures to foster the creation of an information network; and measures to implement the programme for improving the efficiency of electricity use adopted by Council Decision 89/364/EEC of 5.6.1989 (Official Journal No L 157 of 9.6.1989).

All costs relating to the technical evaluations are borne by the Community. The level of Community financing for measures to support Member States' initiatives (training and information activities, sectoral projects) and the creation of an information network ranges from 30 to 50% of the total costs, or up to 60% in exceptional cases. The level of financing of measures for the programme on electricity use is determined on a case-by-case basis.

The Commission establishes the guidelines for the measures to support Member States' initiatives and for the information network. Member States must submit annually to the Commission a list of proposed initiatives and of the bodies which are to implement them. The Commission, in consultation with the programme advisory committee, then decides on the level and conditions of Community funding and signs contracts relating to the support measures with those bodies.

During the third year of implementation the Commission shall present a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the results achieved. Upon completion of the programme it shall present a final report to these same bodies, assessing the results obtained, the application of the Council Decision and the coherence of national and Community actions.