Latest News

Green Paper on Energy Efficiency... or to do more with less
In June 2005 the Commission presented a Green Paper on Energy Efficiency. There main thrust of the paper is that there is still considerable potential for energy savings in Europe. Saving 20% of our energy use by 2020 would save us 60Bn € per year. The picture which it presents makes it extremely clear that Europe must face up to its responsibilities. It also demonstrates that, despite a number of measures agreed at both Community and national level, efforts have been inadequate. The Green Paper seeks to identify what is preventing energy efficiency improvements and why action to promote energy efficiency has failed to deliver significant results – lack of appropriate incentives, lack of information, distorted information, absence of adequate price signals and lack of appropriate financing mechanisms. Finally it describes a number of possible ways for saving energy.

The Commission hopes to foster a vigorous debate on energy efficiency and has launched a public consultation on the questions raised in the Green Paper. Dead line is 31 March 2006.

Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign
In order to promote the uptake of renewable energy and to promote energy efficiency the European Commission in July 2005 launched a Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign with the aim to raise public awareness and promote sustainable energy production and use among individuals and organisations, private companies and public authorities, professional and energy agencies, industry associations and NGOs across Europe.

European Energy Priorities - An outline of the European Commission’s plans for 2005