Introduction
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DIRECTIVE 2006/32/EC AND THE EMEEES PROJECT IN LUXEMBOURGEstimates are that the Union’s energy consumption is approximately 20% higher than can be justified on economic grounds. There is a very large economic potential of unrealized energy savings. A part of this energy savings can effectively be realized through energy services and other end-use efficiency measures. On April 5, 2006 the European Parliament and the Council adopted the Directive 2006/32/EC on the promotion of end-use efficiency and energy services to enhance the cost-effective and efficient end-use of energy in Member States (MSs). Upon adoption, it provides the necessary targets, mechanisms, incentives and institutional, financial and legal frameworks to remove existing market barriers and imperfections for the efficient end use of energy.
According to the Directive the Member States shall adopt and aim to achieve an overall national indicative energy savings target of 9 % for the ninth year of application of the Directive, to be reached by way of energy services and other energy efficiency improvement measures. MSs shall take cost-effective, practicable and reasonable measures designed to contribute towards achieving this target. Actions to be undertaken shall be described by the MSs in the National Energy Efficiency Action Plans to be periodically submitted to the EU Commission (deadline for the submission of the first out of the three NEEAPs to be submitted for the period 2008-2016 was June 30, 2007).
THE EMEEES PROJECT
The EMEEES project will support the smooth implementation of the Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services. It will develop the necessary tools for implementation and monitoring of the Directive: (1) a system of bottom-up, top-down and integrated methods for the evaluation of energy services and other energy efficiency improvement measures, harmonised among Member States; (2) a set of harmonised default data and benchmarks for the methods; (3) a template and a guide for Member States for the Energy Efficiency Action Plans; and (4) an agreed method for the Commission to assess the plans.
The project will thereby assist the European Commission and the Committee to be created with practical advice and support, and will also install a platform for information exchange. It will build trust and confidence that the overall target of 9 % energy savings within 9 years can be achieved, and will thus support Member States in attaining their target.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services has raised concerns among the Member States about how they could evaluate the energy savings from energy services and other energy efficiency improvement measures implemented in order contribute to achieving the target of 9 % energy savings in the ninth year. A Committee of the Member States and the Commission has therefore been included in the compromise text, with the task of elaborating common and harmonised methods for the evaluation of energy savings.
The objective of the proposed project is to assist the Commission and this Committee with scientific but concrete and practical advice and support in the development of such concrete methods for the evaluation of single programmes, services and measures (mostly bottom-up), as well as with schemes for monitoring the overall impact of all measures implemented in a Member State (combination of bottom-up and top-down).
LUXEMBOURG'S FIRST ENERGY EFFICIENCY ACTION PLAN
Luxembourg's first NEEAP was published by the Ministry of the Economy and Foreign Trade in February 2008. The document can be accessed below.