Activities of Anni PODIMATA related to 2011/0172(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Energy efficiency (debate)
Amendments (23)
Amendment 124 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The Union is facing unprecedented challenges resulting from increased dependence on energy imports and scarce energy resources, and the need to limit climate change and to overcome the economic crisis. Energy efficiency is a valuable means to address these challenges. It improves the Union's security of supply by reducing primary energy consumption and decreasing energy imports. It helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective way and thereby to mitigate climate change. It is a crucial instrument for keeping energy affordable for all consumers and in the fight against energy poverty. Shifting to a more energy-efficient economy should also accelerate the spread of innovative technological solutions and improve the competitiveness of industry in the Union, boosting economic growth and creating high quality jobs in several sectors related to energy efficiency.
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) The energy efficiency targets can best be reached by involving as many parties as possible, public as well as private. This will induce a high leverage effect, create jobs and contribute to greener growth on the path to the creation of a competitive and sustainable Europe.
Amendment 208 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17a) The EU institutions should also set the right example by renting and purchasing only products, services and buildings of the highest available energy performance class.
Amendment 237 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) When designing energy efficiency improvement measures, account should be taken of efficiency gains and savings obtained through the widespread application of cost-effective technological innovations such as smart meters. To maximise the saving benefits of these innovations, final customers should be able to visualise indicators of cost and consumption and have regular individual billing based on actual consumption. In addition to that, Member States shall develop Demand Response programmes that will empower and reward decentralized and flexible energy generators in combination with Demand Response providers.
Amendment 244 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21 b (new)
Recital 21 b (new)
(21b) Energy poverty is mainly caused by a combination of low income, poor housing and high energy prices. These three elements must be fought by increasing energy efficiency of homes, making the energy market responsible, and by developing social inclusion measures.
Amendment 266 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) The specific structure of the cogeneration and district heating and cooling sectors, which include many small and medium-sized producers, should be taken into account, especially when reviewing the administrative procedures for obtaining permission to construct cogeneration capacity or associated networks, in application of the ‘Think Small First’ principle. Notably, the installation of micro-cogeneration units in individual premises should be facilitated.
Amendment 423 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 27 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 27 a (new)
27 a. 'Energy poverty' means having to spend a disproportionate amount of income on energy. Specifically this is defined as households having to spend in percentage terms of their household income, more than twice the median value of the percentage spend by households on energy used within the home; the spend is calculated to attain the same indoor temperatures as the majority of the national households
Amendment 424 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 a (new)
Article 2 a (new)
Article 2a Financing and Technical Support 2a. Without prejudice to Articles 107 and 108 TFEU, Member States shall establish financing facilities to aggregate multiple streams of financing including: (a) financial contributions and fines from non-fulfilment of the obligations set out in Article 6, (b) resources allocated to energy efficiency under Article 10(3) of Directive 2009/29/EC, (c) resources allocated to energy efficiency from EU projects bonds, (d) resources allocated to energy efficiency in the multiannual financial framework, in particular cohesion and structural funds, and dedicated European financial instruments, technical assistance and financial engineering, (e) resources allocated to energy efficiency from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other European financial institutions, in particular the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Council of Europe development Bank (CEB), f) national resources, including from public banks and other national financial institutions. 2. The financing facilities shall: (a) use this money to generate the highest leverage possible of private capital, in particular drawing on institutional investors; (b) provide financial tools (e.g. loan guarantees for private capital, loan guarantees to foster energy performance contracting, grants, subsidised loans and dedicated credit lines) that reduce both the perceived and the actual risks of energy efficiency projects; (c) be linked to programmes or agencies which will aggregate and quality assess energy saving projects, provide technical assistance, promote the energy services market and help to generate consumer demand for these services, in accordance with Article 14; (d) provide appropriate resources to support training and certification programmes which improve and accredit skills for energy efficiency. 3. The Commission shall, where appropriate, directly or via the European financial institutions, assist Member States upon request in setting up financing facilities and technical support schemes with the aim of increasing energy efficiency in different sectors, by supporting the exchange of best practice between the responsible national or regional authorities or bodies. 4. The Commission shall in collaboration with the EIB devise a strategy to support the financing mechanisms attract private capital by for example raising awareness about the financing facilities among targeted institutional investors and drafting guidelines based on best practices.
Amendment 425 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 a (new)
Article 2 a (new)
Amendment 432 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member States shall set a national energy efficiency target expressed as anensure that its national absolute level of primary energy consumption in 2020. When setting is below these targets, in they shall take into account the Union’s target of 20 % energy savings, the measures provided for in this Directive, the measures adopted to reach the national energy saving targets adopted pursuant to Article 4(1) of Directive 2006/32/EC and other measures to promote energy efficiency within Member States and at Union level left column of the table in Annex -1. These mandatory national targets are consistent with the objectives of the Union of at least 20% energy savings which requires a reduction of EU primary energy consumption by at least 368 Mtoe in 2020.
Amendment 487 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a Long-term energy savings target 1. Member states shall draw up plans to increase energy savings beyond 2020 leading up to 2050. Member states shall, in coordination with the Commission, set targets for energy savings as part of European energy policy. 2. By 1 January 2014, Member States shall establish and make publicly available the national plans referred to in paragraph 1. They shall include at least: (a) a record of buildings differentiated according to the category of building, (b) an inventory of buildings owned by public bodies indicating the floor area in m2; and the energy performance of each building, (c) Energy savings targets for 2020, 2030 and 2040 along with detailed plans specifying the measures to achieve targets as well as specification of targets in different sectors. These targets shall be consistent with reaching the long term objective referred to in paragraph 1, (d) measures to address social, health and safety, technical and financial challenges in the buildings sector, (e) measures to ensure that tenants are not financially penalised, (f) measures to combat energy poverty.
Amendment 625 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. The EU institutions will set the good example by decreasing their own energy use through, amongst others, innovative heating, lighting, installing energy efficient appliances and resource efficient processes. As for their buildings, they will integrate renewable energies where possible and bring their energy performance level up to the highest performance class (as defined in the country where the building is located) by 2015".
Amendment 633 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
As public bodies can function as very important role models for the rest of society, can promote new innovative energy efficiency products and services and account for a considerable part of the National energy consumption, Member States shall ensure that public bodies only purchase onlyand invest in products, services and buildings with the highest energy efficiency performance, as referred to in Annex III.
Amendment 741 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 5 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 5 – point a
(a) include requirements with a social aim in the saving obligations they impose, including by requiring measures to be implemented in households affected by energy poverty or in social housingrecalling that Member States have defined the concept of vulnerable customers pursuant to Directive 2009/72 Article 3(7), member states shall ensure that a share of energy efficiency measures are targeted at this group;
Amendment 744 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 5 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 5 – point a
(a) include requirements with a social aim in the saving obligations they impose, including by requiring measures to be implemented as a priority in households affected by energy poverty or in social housing;
Amendment 849 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Member States shall develop programmes to encourage households and small and medium-sized enterprises to undergo energy audits. These energy audits shall identify and quantify cost-effective saving opportunities in the short, medium and long term.
Amendment 1068 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. By 1 January 2014, Member States shall establish and notify to the Commission a national heating and cooling plan for developing the potential for the application of high-efficiency cogeneration and efficient district heating and cooling, and other high energy efficient technologies containing the information set out in Annex VII. The plans shall be updated and notified to the Commission every five years. Member States shall ensure by means of their regulatory framework that national heating and cooling plans are taken into account in local and regional development plans, including urban and rural spatial plans, and fulfil the design criteria in Annex VII.
Amendment 1341 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Member States shall ensure that household or communities are allowed to feed excess electricity, generated by small- scale or micro-technologies, onto the power grid and are financially compensated for that. When citizens, individually or in group, own and operate micro-scale renewable energy systems the generated electricity is not seen as production but as energy efficiency.
Amendment 1431 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
b a) ensuring that public authorities consider the use of energy services including energy performance contracting;
Amendment 1443 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
e a) establishing a working group comprised of representatives of the 27 Member States an the European Commission with the aim to facilitate an exchange of best practices for the promotion of the energy services market;
Amendment 1444 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Member States shall ensure that training and job creation will benefit both men and women by focussing on changing the gender segregated labour market within the energy sector.
Amendment 1445 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 14 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Member states shall develop a national strategy to promote and enable an efficient use of energy in the home. This strategy shall include the establishment of a single point of contact for advice and accredited providers, as defined in Articles 13 and 14. Member States may also use a range of tools to promote behaviour change in a joined-up way, including: fiscal incentives, access to finance, grants or subsidies, information provisions, exemplar projects, workplace activities, minimum standards for products and services. These strategies shall include a programme to engage consumers during the rollout of smart meters through communication of: cost-effective and easy to achieve changes in energy use and information on energy efficiency measures. Member States shall in the report referred to in Article 19 (2) also report on the progress of these strategies every 3 years.
Amendment 1610 #
Proposal for a directive
Annex III – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Annex III – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Additional buildings the EU Institutions will rent or purchase in future will systematically be in the best available energy performance class