EU energy policy (2007-2020)

In 2007, the EU Member States (27) had a gross domestic energy consumption of millions of tonnes of oil equivalent (toe),[11]​ of which, around 46% of the energy consumed was produced in the Member States themselves, while the remaining 54% was imported.[11]​ In these statistics, nuclear energy is treated as the primary energy produced in the EU, regardless of the source of the uranium, of which less than 3 % is produced in the EU.[12]​.

In 2007, the EU imported 82% of oil, 57% of gas[13]​ and 97.48% of uranium.[12]​ There are concerns that Europe's dependence on Russian energy endangers the Union and its member countries. So the EU is trying to diversify its energy supply.[14]​.

The European Council in March 2007 approved a mandatory energy plan that includes a 20% cut in its carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 and the consumption of more renewable energy so that it represents 20% of the EU's total consumption (against 7% in 2006).[15]​

On the other hand, the commitment was established to achieve a minimum share of 10% of biofuels in the total consumption of gasoline and transportation diesel in 2020.[15]​.

The future distribution of the effort of that 20% percentage will take into account the energy specificities of each state. Furthermore, the EU undertakes to reduce greenhouse gases by up to 30% in the event of an international commitment that involves both other powers and new industrialized countries.[15]​.

In the already reviewed 2007 report “An Energy Policy….”, the EU proposes truly ambitious goals:

To do this, it defines objectives, adopts commitments and identifies priority sectors for action. In the following sections a succinct list of the most significant ones is made.

• - Security of supply: Developing a common foreign policy and establishing a dialogue with Member States and their partners.

• - Competitiveness: Of the European economies and energy supply at affordable costs. Transparent internal market legislation needs to be put in place.

• - Environmental sustainability: Strengthening EU leadership through the adoption of an action plan on energy efficiency and the continued development of renewable energy, as well as the implementation of the biomass action plan.

In line with the objectives, it adopts several commitments that significantly condition the activity of the Member States. They stand out:

By 2020 the EU must achieve:[16]​.

• - 20% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over 1990 figures.[17]​.

• - 20% reduction in energy consumption, also with reference to 1990, promoting greater energy efficiency.[18]​ titled «Action plan for energy efficiency: realizing the potential»,.

• - 20% of the primary energy consumed must come from renewable sources.[19]​.

• - Directive 2009/28/EC and the Decision of June 30, 2009 promote the use of renewable energies.

• - Directive 2009/30/EC called "Fuel Quality Directive (FQD).

The existing buildings in the various countries of the European Union are the main final energy consumer sector; Currently it represents 40% of the total[21]​ and with an expanding trend.

For this reason, reducing demand and satisfying it through the use of renewable sources has been addressed since the 1980s by various legislative acts.

In particular, Directive 2002/91 was already directed monographically at the energy efficiency of buildings, collecting various dispersed provisions enacted in the previous decade. After different modifications, a new recast was carried out in Directive 2010/31, currently in force. Finally, Directive 2012/27 on energy efficiency has a particular impact on energy consumption in buildings.

Some of the most notable commitments of the last two legal texts mentioned in the previous paragraph are:

• - Provides methodology for calculating the energy efficiency of buildings.

• - Set minimum requirements:.

• - Objective: buildings with almost zero energy consumption.

• - Commercial incentives and financial barriers.

• - Establish energy efficiency certificate systems.

• - Arbitrate systematic methodology for the regular control of heating and air conditioning systems.

Although general in nature, it specifically affects the problem of buildings. Worth highlighting:

• - Specifies the exemplary obligations of the Administrations:.

• - Member States shall ensure that central administrations purchase only products, services and buildings that have high energy performance, to the extent that this is consistent with profitability, economic viability, sustainability in a broader sense, technical suitability, as well as sufficient competence.

• - Promote efficiency in heating and cooling.

• - Promotion of distributed electricity generation.

• - Member States will establish a long-term strategy to mobilize investments in the renovation of the national stock of residential and commercial buildings, both public and private.

1. • Energy for growth and employment in Europe: the full implementation of the European internal markets for electricity and gas.

2. • An internal energy market that guarantees security of supply: solidarity between Member States.

3. • Security and competitiveness of energy supply: in search of a more sustainable, efficient and varied energy mix.

4. • Integrated approach to combating climate change.

5. • Promotion of innovation: European strategic plan for energy technology.

6. • Towards a coherent foreign energy policy.

Despite the important progress achieved in the last decade, the common energy policy for the entire EU presents notable chiaroscuros.

On the one hand, there is full autonomy of the Member States in the choice of primary resources, particularly for the generation of electricity, for example: the nuclear issue raises strong dissent among the components of the EU, or the problem of electrical or gas intercommunication, very different between the center and the European periphery. Accordingly, the Lisbon Treaty specifies that:

:The decisions of the European Union will not affect the choice by a Member State between different energy sources or the general structure of its energy supply..

In contrast to the independence mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Member states have agreed to give up part of their autonomy for the sake of integration. Thus, the Member States must respect a large number of community agreements by periodically reporting on the most significant developments. Inter alia:.

• - Fuel quality standards are determined centrally by the CEN.

• - Present the National Energy Efficiency Action Plans as established in the Directive1 on energy services.

• - Present the national action plans on renewable energy according to Directive 12 to promote the use of renewable energy.

• - Establish common guidelines regarding the sustainability of renewable energies.

• - Present the 10-year Plans regarding connection infrastructures, according to the legislation relating to the internal electricity and gas market.

• - Report investments or disinvestments in energy projects, according to the proposed revision of Regulation (EC) 736/96.

• - Accept European proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, notifying CO2 emissions in relation to Directive 15 on emissions trading.

The EU generates an enormous volume of documentation of all kinds, with a certain malevolence there are multiple references to the Brussels bureaucracy, making it difficult, even for professionals, to keep up to date. This complication is significantly increased by the coexistence of the regulations of the Member States. It is advisable to refer to the community information itself, if necessary from the affected country, taking special care of the date of the documents consulted.

The "European Union" page http://europa.eu/pol/index_es.htm is a good method to obtain information on the various European policies.

EU energy policy (2007-2020)

In 2007, the EU Member States (27) had a gross domestic energy consumption of millions of tonnes of oil equivalent (toe),[11]​ of which, around 46% of the energy consumed was produced in the Member States themselves, while the remaining 54% was imported.[11]​ In these statistics, nuclear energy is treated as the primary energy produced in the EU, regardless of the source of the uranium, of which less than 3 % is produced in the EU.[12]​.

In 2007, the EU imported 82% of oil, 57% of gas[13]​ and 97.48% of uranium.[12]​ There are concerns that Europe's dependence on Russian energy endangers the Union and its member countries. So the EU is trying to diversify its energy supply.[14]​.

The European Council in March 2007 approved a mandatory energy plan that includes a 20% cut in its carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 and the consumption of more renewable energy so that it represents 20% of the EU's total consumption (against 7% in 2006).[15]​

On the other hand, the commitment was established to achieve a minimum share of 10% of biofuels in the total consumption of gasoline and transportation diesel in 2020.[15]​.

The future distribution of the effort of that 20% percentage will take into account the energy specificities of each state. Furthermore, the EU undertakes to reduce greenhouse gases by up to 30% in the event of an international commitment that involves both other powers and new industrialized countries.[15]​.

In the already reviewed 2007 report “An Energy Policy….”, the EU proposes truly ambitious goals:

To do this, it defines objectives, adopts commitments and identifies priority sectors for action. In the following sections a succinct list of the most significant ones is made.

• - Security of supply: Developing a common foreign policy and establishing a dialogue with Member States and their partners.

• - Competitiveness: Of the European economies and energy supply at affordable costs. Transparent internal market legislation needs to be put in place.

• - Environmental sustainability: Strengthening EU leadership through the adoption of an action plan on energy efficiency and the continued development of renewable energy, as well as the implementation of the biomass action plan.

In line with the objectives, it adopts several commitments that significantly condition the activity of the Member States. They stand out:

By 2020 the EU must achieve:[16]​.

• - 20% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over 1990 figures.[17]​.

• - 20% reduction in energy consumption, also with reference to 1990, promoting greater energy efficiency.[18]​ titled «Action plan for energy efficiency: realizing the potential»,.

• - 20% of the primary energy consumed must come from renewable sources.[19]​.

• - Directive 2009/28/EC and the Decision of June 30, 2009 promote the use of renewable energies.

• - Directive 2009/30/EC called "Fuel Quality Directive (FQD).

The existing buildings in the various countries of the European Union are the main final energy consumer sector; Currently it represents 40% of the total[21]​ and with an expanding trend.

For this reason, reducing demand and satisfying it through the use of renewable sources has been addressed since the 1980s by various legislative acts.

In particular, Directive 2002/91 was already directed monographically at the energy efficiency of buildings, collecting various dispersed provisions enacted in the previous decade. After different modifications, a new recast was carried out in Directive 2010/31, currently in force. Finally, Directive 2012/27 on energy efficiency has a particular impact on energy consumption in buildings.

Some of the most notable commitments of the last two legal texts mentioned in the previous paragraph are:

• - Provides methodology for calculating the energy efficiency of buildings.

• - Set minimum requirements:.

• - Objective: buildings with almost zero energy consumption.

• - Commercial incentives and financial barriers.

• - Establish energy efficiency certificate systems.

• - Arbitrate systematic methodology for the regular control of heating and air conditioning systems.

Although general in nature, it specifically affects the problem of buildings. Worth highlighting:

• - Specifies the exemplary obligations of the Administrations:.

• - Member States shall ensure that central administrations purchase only products, services and buildings that have high energy performance, to the extent that this is consistent with profitability, economic viability, sustainability in a broader sense, technical suitability, as well as sufficient competence.

• - Promote efficiency in heating and cooling.

• - Promotion of distributed electricity generation.

• - Member States will establish a long-term strategy to mobilize investments in the renovation of the national stock of residential and commercial buildings, both public and private.

1. • Energy for growth and employment in Europe: the full implementation of the European internal markets for electricity and gas.

2. • An internal energy market that guarantees security of supply: solidarity between Member States.

3. • Security and competitiveness of energy supply: in search of a more sustainable, efficient and varied energy mix.

4. • Integrated approach to combating climate change.

5. • Promotion of innovation: European strategic plan for energy technology.

6. • Towards a coherent foreign energy policy.

Despite the important progress achieved in the last decade, the common energy policy for the entire EU presents notable chiaroscuros.

On the one hand, there is full autonomy of the Member States in the choice of primary resources, particularly for the generation of electricity, for example: the nuclear issue raises strong dissent among the components of the EU, or the problem of electrical or gas intercommunication, very different between the center and the European periphery. Accordingly, the Lisbon Treaty specifies that:

:The decisions of the European Union will not affect the choice by a Member State between different energy sources or the general structure of its energy supply..

In contrast to the independence mentioned in the previous paragraph, the Member states have agreed to give up part of their autonomy for the sake of integration. Thus, the Member States must respect a large number of community agreements by periodically reporting on the most significant developments. Inter alia:.

• - Fuel quality standards are determined centrally by the CEN.

• - Present the National Energy Efficiency Action Plans as established in the Directive1 on energy services.

• - Present the national action plans on renewable energy according to Directive 12 to promote the use of renewable energy.

• - Establish common guidelines regarding the sustainability of renewable energies.

• - Present the 10-year Plans regarding connection infrastructures, according to the legislation relating to the internal electricity and gas market.

• - Report investments or disinvestments in energy projects, according to the proposed revision of Regulation (EC) 736/96.

• - Accept European proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, notifying CO2 emissions in relation to Directive 15 on emissions trading.

The EU generates an enormous volume of documentation of all kinds, with a certain malevolence there are multiple references to the Brussels bureaucracy, making it difficult, even for professionals, to keep up to date. This complication is significantly increased by the coexistence of the regulations of the Member States. It is advisable to refer to the community information itself, if necessary from the affected country, taking special care of the date of the documents consulted.

The "European Union" page http://europa.eu/pol/index_es.htm is a good method to obtain information on the various European policies.