5. 6. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 139/9 
Section 2(a) of Annex III, which deals with sparkling 
wines. This currently contains the values of 0,125 and 
0,2 litres. 
Done at Brussels, 30 March 1989. 
The Committee supports the aims of the Commission's 
proposal for a Council Decision. The Committee does 
not expect the proposed measures to bring about a 
decline in the Community's total electricity consump­
tion, but there should be a reduction in the growth of 
consumption. Assuming that the Commission's figures 
are correct, the Decision could contribute to the 
achievement of the Community's energy-saving objec­
tives. 
The Committee would make the following comments 
on the form and content of the proposal: 
1. Introduction 
1.1. The present proposal for a Decision is to be seen 
in the context of the energy objectives for 1995 fixed 
by the Council in September 1986 (2). One of these 
objectives is an improvement of at least 20% in the 
efficiency of final energy demand. 
(!) OJ No C 307, 2. 12. 1988, p. 4. 
(2) Council Resolution of 16 September 1986 (OJ No C 241, 
25. 9. 1986, p. 1). The Commission should also review the other scales 
with a view to transparency and maximum consumer 
choice. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE 
1.2. The Commission justifies its proposal by the 
existence of major potential for savings in electricity 
consumption, which accounts for some 17% of final 
energy demand in the Community [and for 35% of 
total primary energy consumption, or 367 MTOE(3)]. 
The figure of 20% could be reached by the year 2000. 
1.3. The proposed Community action programme 
has a twofold aim: 
— to influence consumer behaviour, encouraging con­
sumers to choose the most efficient electrical equip­
ment and to use it in the most efficient manner, and 
— to promote further improvement in the efficiency of 
electrical equipment and electricity-based processes 
and more effective marketing of high-efficiency 
equipment. 
1.4. There are four areas of proposed activity, viz.: 
— consumer information, 
— equipment efficiency, 
(3) MTOE = million tonnes oil equivalent. Opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on a Community action programme for 
improving the efficiency of electricity use (!) 
(89/C 139/04) 
On 11 November 1988 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, 
under Article 235 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, on the 
abovementioned proposal. 
The Section for Energy, Nuclear Questions and Research, which was responsible for preparing 
the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 3 March 1989. The rapporteur 
was Mr van Dam. 
At its 264th plenary session (meeting of 30 March 1989) the Economic and Social Committee 
adopted the following Opinion with no votes against and two abstentions. 
No C 139/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 6. 89 
— aid for the demonstration of new, more efficient 
equipment and technologies and the dissemination 
of results, 
— the study of factors determining the efficiency of 
electricity use and the identification of areas in 
which additional measures could be adopted, and 
other support activities. 
2. General comments 
2.1. Given the continuing increase in electricity con­
sumption and the uncertainties regarding the use of 
nuclear energy in some Member States, the saving of 
electricity, e.g. by means of the proposed programme, 
is of great importance. 
2.2. The Committee feels that the Commission 
should set its proposal within the framework of an 
effective general energy-saving policy. It considers, 
however, that the goal of electrical efficiency should be 
pursued independently of efforts to promote the 
efficient use of other energy sources. 
2.3. Furthermore, the Committee feels that the pro­
posals do not take sufficient account of the fact that 
for the overwhelming majority of domestic consumers 
the electrical efficiency of equipment is a relatively 
insignificant consideration when set against the other 
costs of using equipment. For example, a one-year 
longer working life in the case of a washing machine 
means greater savings for the consumer than would be 
obtained by purchasing a new machine more efficient 
in the use of electricity. Ways of saving energy which 
do not lead to clear reductions in costs do not provide 
sufficient incentive and will thus not yield the desired 
results. Clear stress must therefore be laid on cost 
savings in relation to the working life of equipment. 
2.4. Although the same applies in principle to large 
consumers of electricity, the potential savings from 
more electrically efficient equipment are in themselves 
sufficient grounds for purchase. 
2.5. As far as the vast majority of consumers are 
concerned, drawing attention to electrical efficiency will 
only serve a useful purpose when they are contemplat­
ing buying new equipment. Domestic appliances offered 
for sale should therefore carry labels indicating their 
energy consumption (see Directive in OJ No L 145, 
13. 6. 1979, p. 1). Electrical efficiency has, however, still 
to compete with other factors of importance to the 
consumer. 
2.6. A major stimulus for electrical efficiency would 
come from the introduction of simple, transparent elec­
tricity tariffs which would make it easy for the con­
sumer to perceive the financial savings from more efficient electricity use. More efficient use of electricity 
could also be promoted by means of specially tailored 
tariffs, like the existing night and weekend tariffs. 
2.6.1. Such tariffs must not, however, encourage an 
increase in electricity consumption, which would run 
counter to the aims of the Commission proposal. In this 
context the Committee would refer to the comments in 
its Opinion of 13 May 1987 on the Draft for a Resol­
ution of the Council of the European Communities on 
the continuation and implementation of a European 
Community policy and action programme on the 
environment (1987-1992) (*). 
2.7. Before going on to assess the proposals, the 
Committee would make a number of comments in 
connection with the energy efficiency of electrical equip­
ment: 
— greater electrical efficiency can also be achieved by 
improved maintenance; the proper use of equipment 
is also very important, 
— cutting down on the superfluous use of equipment 
can also contribute to greater electrical efficiency; 
decisive action is needed to counter the unnecessary 
use of equipment, 
— the efficient use of electricity can also be promoted 
by adjusting the capacity of electrical equipment to 
the requirements, and by regulating the lighting in 
large buildings, in towns and on roads, 
— the efficient use of electricity can be more important 
for small firms than they themselves realize, 
— certain production processes should be appraised 
from the point of view of the efficiency with which 
the various means of production, including elec­
tricity, are used; attention should also be paid to 
environmental effects here, 
— using currently available technology, improvements 
could be made in the fuel efficiency of power 
stations which would bring savings in primary 
energy consumption of the same order of magnitude 
as the savings which the Commission estimates can 
be achieved by the more efficient use of electricity, 
— the use of new technologies, such as superconduc­
tors, could under certain circumstances help reduce 
the losses involved in the large-scale transmission 
of electricity. 
2.8. The Committee sees electricity consumers as 
falling into two main categories: users of mainly dom­
estic appliances and users of mainly industrial appar­
atus. Different approaches through different channels 
are needed for these two groups. 
(J) OJ No C 180, 8. 7. 1987. 
5. 6. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 139/11 
2.9. The distinction which the Commission makes 
between consumer information and technical advice is 
not in accordance with everyday realities as experienced 
by the consumer. For the consumer information and 
technical advice generally amount to the same thing 
and are provided by suppliers of equipment, consumer 
organizations and electricity distributors. 
2.10. A different channel can be used to encourage 
firms to pay attention to the efficiency of their electrical 
apparatus. There is a task here for the sectoral organiz­
ations, which can point out to firms that equipment 
efficiency is a factor to be considered in efforts to 
maximize profitability. Stress could in particular be laid 
on the considerable size of the savings to be made in 
relation to a firm's profits. Managers should also pay 
more attention to cutting energy costs within their 
firms. 
2.11. Apart from the two groups of users, the manu­
facturers of electrical equipment should also contribute 
by improving the efficiency of their products. National 
governments also have a role to play in encouraging 
research and development in the field of efficient elec­
tricity use. 
2.12. In the light of the above considerations, the 
Committee recommends that the main responsibility 
for action to promote the efficient use of electricity 
should lie with national bodies—either already existing 
or to be set up by the Member States—which should 
carry out this task within the broader framework of 
energy conservation. These bodies could be assigned 
the following duties: 
a) the provision of consumer information and the pro­
motion of consumer education on energy saving, 
where possible via existing organizations, with spec­
ific emphasis on efficient electricity use; 
b) the promotion via industrial organizations of energy 
saving, including the electrical efficiency of appar­
atus used in industry; 
c) taking stock of important possibilities as regards 
energy saving and efficient electricity use; 
d) the circulation of findings to equipment users' 
organizations; 
Done at Brussels, 30 March 1989. e) the award of prizes, e.g. for the most electrically 
efficient and cost saving equipment. 
2.13. The Commission should be responsible for: 
a) taking stock of research projects and, where necess­
ary, encouraging them; 
b) promoting the establishment of electrical efficiency 
standards for equipment enabling the user to weigh 
up energy costs properly against other costs; the 
aim should be to make these standards Community-
wide; 
c) taking stock of existing data bases on energy saving, 
promoting cooperation between these data bases, 
inter alia at Community level, and promoting use 
of the data by bodies responsible for providing 
information. 
The Committee does not consider that an advisory 
committee of the size indicated in the Commission 
proposal, i.e. comprising representatives of all the 
organizations concerned in the Member States, would 
be suitable for carrying out these tasks. The Committee 
would, however, approve of a small advisory com­
mittee, made up of representatives of the main organiz­
ations involved, to assist the Commission in its tasks. 
The Economic and Social Committee is always willing 
to comply with requests from the Commission for 
Opinions on the efficient use of electricity within the 
framework of general energy saving policy. 
2.14. The Committee realizes that attention is 
already being paid to some of these matters in various 
Member States, but as yet too little is being done 
as regards surveys of relevant information and the 
dissemination of this information. To this end, the 
above-mentioned national bodies should report annu­
ally on their activities to the Commission. Drawing on 
these reports the Commission should ensure that useful 
data are circulated to the national bodies to assist them 
in their task of supplying information and providing a 
stimulus. 
2.15. The Committee assumes that the Commission 
will continue to promote research and demonstration 
projects in the field of efficient energy use. Research 
should also focus on areas where energy efficiency is 
still relatively low. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alberto MASPRONE