Search

4.146. The Energy Efficiency Directive also requires member States to assess and notify the Commission of the potential for high-efficiency cogeneration and district heating and cooling on their territory, and to conduct a cost-benefit analysis based on climate conditions, economic feasibility and technical suitability (with some exemptions). Member States are free to make these minimum requirements more stringent as they strive to save energy. (...)

4.147. Further energy-efficiency standards for products and buildings were set, with the Ecodesign Directive (No. 2009/125/EC), the Energy Efficiency Labelling Directive (No. 2010/30/EU) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (No. 2010/31/EU). The application of minimum requirements to the energy performance of new buildings and new building units, establishes, for instance, that, by 31 December 2020, all new buildings must be nearly zero-energy.

4.148. In the framework of the Energy Union Package, the Commission launched the EU Strategy on Heating and Cooling. It includes plans to boost the energy efficiency of buildings, improve linkages between electricity systems and district heating systems, which will greatly increase the use of renewable energy, and encourage reuse of waste heat and cold generated by industry. Legislative provisions for this Strategy are included in the Clean Energy for all Europeans package.

4.149. The Commission invited the European Standardization Organizations (ESOs) to contribute to the efforts to make Europe more climate-resilient (Section 3.3.2.4).

4.150. The EU is committed to becoming the world leader in renewable energy, and the global hub for developing the next generation of technically advanced and competitive renewable energies. The Renewable Energy Directive established that a mandatory 20% share of EU energy consumption must come from renewables by 2020. In addition, all member States are required to obtain 10% of their transport fuels from renewables by that year. The Directive also specifies national renewable energy targets for each country, considering its starting point and overall potential for renewables. These targets range from a low of 10% in Malta to a high of 49% in Sweden.

4.151. The 2030 Climate and Energy Policy Framework points to a renewable energy share of at least 30% by 2030. In December 2018, under Directive (EU) No. 2018/2001 of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources , the EU established an increased EU-wide target of at least 32% by 2030, building on the national target for renewable energy of 2020. Since 2014, the share of renewable energy in the EU energy mix has increased, reaching 17.5% in 2017. According to the European Commission, while the EU is on track to meet its 2020 targets for renewable energy, member States should step up their efforts to both deploy renewables and reduce energy consumption to ensure that 2030 targets are met.

4.152. According to the Commission, member States may also use statistical transfers, as provided for in the Renewable Energy Directive, either to ensure that they achieve the target when there is a deficit or to sell their surplus. The Commission adopted a revised Renewable Energy Directive to: further deploying renewables in the electricity sector; mainstream renewables in the heating and cooling sector; decarbonize and diversify the transport sector (with a renewables target for 2030 of at least 14% of total energy consumption in transport); empower and inform customers; strengthen the EU sustainability criteria for bioenergy; and make sure the EU-level binding target is achieved on time and in a cost-effective way.

4.153. The EU currently has two targets for biofuels, namely to source 10% of transport fuels from renewables by 2020 , and to oblige fuel providers to reduce the GHG intensity of their fuels by 6% by 2020. The Commission proposed to scrap these two targets after 2020.

4.154. European renewable energy businesses have a combined annual turnover of over EUR 130 billion, and employ more than 1 million people. EU companies have a share of around 40% of all patents for renewable technologies. A key challenge is to retain Europe's leading role in global investment in renewable energy.

4.155. The full implementation of the circular economy approach is also critical for decarbonizing the EU's economy, notably in energy-intensive sectors such as steel, cement and glass, while keeping or increasing its competitiveness. Reuse and recycling of raw materials lead to lower emissions, and reduce dependency on raw material supplies. In December 2018, the Commission launched the Circular Plastics Alliance, consisting of key industry stakeholders, covering the full plastics value chain, as part of its continued efforts to reduce plastics littering, increase the share of recycled plastics, and stimulate market innovation.