No C 307/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 12. 88 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Decision on a Community Action Programme for improving the 
efficiency of electricity use 
COM(88) 576 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 28 October 1988) 
(88/C 307/09) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the' opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas in its resolution of 15 January 1985 on the 
improvement of energy-saving programmes in Member 
States (') the Council invited Member States to pursue 
and where necessary increase their efforts to promote the 
more rational use of energy by the further development 
of integrated energy-saving policies; 
Whereas in its resolution of 16 September 1986 (2) 
concerning new energy policy objectives for 1995 the 
Council called for a vigorous policy for energy saving; 
Whereas in its declaration of 26 November 1986 on 
energy efficiency the Council agreed that the 
Community and the Member States would publicize the 
need for greater energy efficiency by making available 
full information and advice on how this can be achieved; 
Whereas the production of electricity accounts for over 
35 % of the Community's total primary energy 
consumption and the consumption of electricity for over 
17 % of the Community's total final energy 
consumption; Whereas improvements in the efficiency of electricity use 
would bring benefits in terms of lower primary energy 
consumption, reduced investment in electricity 
production capacity, reduced emission levels and lower 
electricity costs to consumers; 
Whereas significant potential for improvements in the 
efficiency of electricity use exists and specific actions are 
necessary to ensure its achievement; 
Whereas, to achieve improvement in the efficiency of 
electricity use, electricity consumers should be 
encouraged to use the most efficient electrical appliances 
and equipment and the efficiency of such appliances and 
equipment and of electrically-based processes should be 
further improved; 
Whereas a Community Action Programme should be 
instituted to achieve these objectives, and whereas the 
EEC Treaty has not provided for the necessary powers 
to achieve these objectives; 
Whereas such a Community Action Programme would 
be complementary to other actions in the general field of 
energy saying, in particular the Community Energy 
Demonstration Project Programme, which has a high 
energy-saving content, as well as the Council Directive 
on the energy labelling of domestic appliances (3), the 
Council resolution on the rational use of energy use in 
buildings (4) and the Commission initiative on the energy 
certification of buildings (5); 
Whereas the execution of a Community Action 
Programme would require not only the collaboration of 
the Commission and Member State Governments but 
also the participation of other parties in the electricity 
sector, notably the electricity distributors, electrical 
equipment manufacturers, electricity consumers' organi­
zations, and professional institutions, 
(') OJ No C 20, 22. 1. 1985, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No C 241, 25. 9. 1986, p. 1. (3) OJ No L 145, 13. 6. 1979, p. 1. 
(4) OJ No C 78, 26. 3. 1985, p. 1. 
(5) OJ No C 267, 6. 10. 1987, p. 2. 
2. 12. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 307/7 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
1. A Community Action Programme for improving 
the efficiency of electricity use shall be instituted. 
2. The Community Action Programme shall have, as 
its twin objectives, the influencing of electricity 
consumers in favour of the use of the most efficient elec­
trical appliances and equipment in the most efficient 
manner and the further improvement of the efficiency of 
electrical appliances and equipment and of elec­
tricity-based processes. 
Article 2 
The main lines of the activities envisaged within the 
Community Action Programme shall be as indicated in 
the Annex to this Decision. Additional actions may be 
included during the operation of the programme, where 
such actions can further the achievement of the 
programme objectives. 
Article 3 
1. The Member States shall be responsible for the 
management and execution of actions under the 
Community Action Programme within their territories. 
2. To this end Member States shall set up or appoint 
national bodies, in which all interested parties in the 
execution of the programme shall be represented 
including the electricity undertakings, electrical 
equipment manufacturers, consumers' organizations and 
appropriate professional bodies. 
3. Member States shall instruct the national bodies to 
recommend and coordinate the execution of actions 
under the Community Action Programme within their 
territory and to ensure close liaison with the 
Commission. 
Article 4 
1. A Community Action Programme Advisory 
Committee shall be established, under the chairmanship 
of the Commission, which will comprise representatives of the national bodies referred to in Article 3 as well as 
other interested parties nominated by the Commission. 
The committee shall determine its rules of procedure. 
2. The committee shall assist the Commission in the 
coordination of the Action Programme and shall advise 
on appropriate activites to be carried out at Community 
level in support of the Action Programme. 
Article 5 
1. The Commission shall ensure the secretariat of the 
Advisory Committee referred to in Article 4 and be 
responsible for the provision of administrative planning 
and technical support to the management of the 
programme and for the management of actions instituted 
by the Commission in support of the programme. 
2. The coordination at Community level of actions 
under the Action Programme, the monitoring of the 
progress and results of the programme and actions 
necessary to the support of the programme at 
Community level shall be the responsibility of the 
Commission. 
3. The Commission shall report regularly to the 
Council, to the European Parliament and to the 
Economic and Social Committee on the progress of the 
Community Action Programme. The first such report 
shall be made not later than nine months following the 
adoption of this Decision. 
Article 6 
Where the achievement of the programme objectives 
requires further Community measures, the Commission 
shall lay before the Council proposals for such measures 
pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Treaty. 
Article 7 
After a period of not more than three years, the Action 
Programme and the procedures established for its 
implementation shall be re-examined, on the basis of a 
report by the Commission, with a view to examining 
their effectiveness and their possible improvement. 
Article 8 
The present Decision is addressed to the Member States. 
ANNEX 
The main lines of the activities envisaged within the Community Action Programme referred to under 
Article 2 
1. Consumer information 
Activities to improve the quality and availability of information to electricity consumers and equipment 
specifiers concerning the efficiency of electrical appliances and equipment and their efficient use, 
including: 
— the provision of information by electricity distributors, consumer organizations and, where appro­
priate, by Member State Governments, 
No C 307/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 12. 88 
— the most effective use of all media for disseminating information, 
— the provision of data relating to appliance and equipment efficiency by manufacturers, 
— the establishment of appropriate data bases. 
2. Technical advice 
Activities to ensure that technical advice on the purchase, installation and use of the most efficient 
electrical appliances and equipment is readily available to electricity consumers, including: 
— activities by electricity distributors and consumer organizations and Member State Governments to 
ensure that advice is available to consumers on the purchase, installation and use of the most 
efficient electrical appliances and equipment, 
— activities by professional institutions concerned with the specification and installation of electrical 
equipment to ensure that their members are adequately informed on the efficient use of electricity. 
3. Efficiencies of electrical appliances and equipment 
Activities to improve the efficiencies of electrical appliances and equipment and to increase the market 
share of the most efficient of these already commercially available, including: 
— the establishment of collaboration between manufacturers to improve the efficiency of appliances 
and equipment, 
— efforts by electricity distributors and others to increase the penetration of more efficient appliances 
and equipment by more effective marketing, including examination of the potential of selective 
financial intervention, 
— action by Member State Governments to ensure that, in all activities which they manage and in all 
buildings they own or occupy, electrical appliances and equipment are of high efficiency and effi­
ciently operated, 
— consideration of the potential contribution of new, efficiency-related or technical standards to 
improving the efficiency of electricity use. 
4. Demonstration 
Actions to ensure that the demonstration of new, more efficient appliances, equipment and technologies 
is adequately supported and information disseminated throughout the Community. 
5. Studies and other support activities 
Actions to analyse factors determining the efficiency of electricity use and to identify areas in which 
additional measures might effectively be taken, other studies and information seminars. 
6. Coordination and monitoring 
Actions to ensure the coordination of programme actions and adequate monitoring of the results.