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COMMISSION OFTHE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
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AN INTENSIFICATION OF THE COMMUNITY 'SPROGRAMME FOR ENERGY SA VING
(Communication ,bythe Commission totheCouncil )
COM (77)39final

ANINTENSIFICATION OFTHE COMMUNITY 'SPROGRAMME FOR ENERGY SA VING
Communication bythe Commission tothe Council
1, Progress sofar
1» The Commission believes that the size ofthe shortfall now foreseen
for the production ofenergy .from indigeneous sources ,and the *•
difficulties which stand inthe way ofany new acceleration ,
.especially innuclear energy ,justify amajor effort tointensify
the Community 'sprogramme for energy saving .Infact ,afailure
toreduce the Community 'srequirement for imported energy
together with growing requirements from elsewhere inthe
industrialized and inthe developing world ,will very probably
result inprice increases which will force energy saving both
byconservation and' byreduced economic growth .Bytaking more
vigorous action now,the Community ,together with the rest of
the industrialized world ,can hope toincrease the margin for
economic growth consistant with orderly developments inworld
energy markets .
2. During the past two years ,the Commission 'sservices and groups
ofexperts nominated bythe Member States have examined together
Lthe twenty-two action areas inthe programme for t'he rational
use ofenergy ,adopted bythe Council ofMinisters inits
Resolution of 17December 1974 . '
3. The Council ofMinisters has already' adopted five recommen­
dations .Aseries oftechnical reports have also been produced
bythe expert groups and the Commission intends awide distri­
bution for them after suitable editing .Some ,but notall,of
these expert groups will need tocontinue their work ,toobtain
the full benefit from what has been already achieved .
(1^O.J. L1,l0ofthe 26.5.1976

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4.The Community 'sprogramme draws heavily ,ofcourse ,onthe
experience ofMember States .That experience isbynomeans
uniform ,but asagenerality itcan besaid that most Member
States have relied mainly ontheprice mechanism ,backed up
bysuitable publicity andinformation campaigns .Specific
actions have also been adopted ,especially for new construction
inthedomestic ,andtoalesser extent ,inthetertiary sector .
Some Member States have extended their action toaprogramme
ofincentives and standards intheindustrial sector .However
actions inother sectors which should contribute animportant
part ofthetotal savings tobeob-ta ined -havedeveloped more
slowly -for example inthetransport and energy industry
sectors (1).
5.Itisdifficult toestimate what energy savings have already
been obtained ,since recent developments inenergy consumption
have been strongly influenced by'eyelical -variations ineconomic
activity and inthe climate .
Most estimates agree that *,forthe Community asawhole ,
the reduction obtained inenergy consumption due todecisions
originating within the Member States themselves issmall ,
probably nomore than sboutahalf atmost ofthe total reduction
ofabout 7%inenergy requirements per unit of GNP,observed
between 1973 and 1976 .
6.Infact ,energy saving has yet tomake much ofanimpact on
those whose decisions shape the future ^course ofdemand ,but
whose principal motivations lie elsewhere .The problem has been
clearly put bygovernments tohouse-holders and toprivate
enterprise .Ithas been less clearly posed within government
administrations ,and energy saving considerations have sofar
played little part inthe formation ofgeneral economic policy ,
fisea I,indust riaI,transport and environment policy ,and
policies for urban' development and renewal .
(1)Itisworth remembering here,bywayofillustration ,theestimates given
bythe Commission in1974 forthesavings tobemade byeach sector through
theratignal useofenergy programmes twenty-two actions ,upto1985 :
-domestic andtertiary :-18% -transport :-16%
-industry :-15% * energy industry :-6%
overall saving on
inland consumption :-15%

Alarge part ofthe explanation isthat ,while amuch better
understanding now exists ofpractical ways tosave energy ,the
big questions are still unanswered :
i)Inwhat areas will efforts toconserve energy give the
best returns inpractice ?
ii)Isitenough torely mainly onthe price mechanism backed
upbysuitable publicity and information campaigns ?
With thedevelopment ofabetter understanding ,about theconse­
quences for the Community ofdifferent balances ofenergy
supply and demand inthe future ;and amore extensive statis­
tical andexperimental basis for cost-benefit analyses ,to
judge how much energy will besaved ,and atwhat cost ,byeach
ofthe actions under consideration ,the answers tothese
questions will emerge more clearly .
The results ofthe .energy R&Dprogramme for energy conservation
adopted bythe Council on'the 22nd August 1975 will also begin
tohave apositive impact during the next few years .
The next steps inthe Community 'sprogramme
Aprime activity for the Member Statefe and the Commission
must betogenerate and tosupport amore active public debate
about possible futures forenergy supply and demand ,and thus
toset the European and worldwide context inwhich particular
proposals will bediscussed .The present economic crisis is
much discussed ,but the coming energy problems areworth at
least asmuch attention .
Wemust also reinforce the statistical and experimental basis
for judging how much energy canbesaved ,and atwhat cost .
Developing reliable and representative data onthebasis of
experience inMember States isamedium-term exercise ,slow
togive results ,butessential ifamajor investment effort
istobemounted toconserve energy .Thepurpose would beto

-if-
permit the fixing ofguide line objectives for the reduction of
energy consumption interms ofthe global balance ofbenefits
and costs tosociety asawhole .This would beanextension and
deepening ofexisting practices ,such asthe fixing ofthe
medium-term "-15%"target for reducing energy requirements by
1985 ,adopted bythe Council ofMinisters in1974 .
*12.The fixing ofsectoral guidelines must take account both ofthe
degree ofwaste atexisting levels ofeconomic activity and
with existing standards ofcomfort and convenience ,and the
need toprovide for continued economic growth and some rises
instandards ofcomfort and convenience ,particularly atthe
Lower and ofthe spectrum .
♦
-13.Areas where rapid conclusions should now besoughtare :
i)the energy requirements for residential ,industrial and
commercia Ispace heat ing,the implications for thermal
insulation and for the associated materials and con­
-struction .industries ; .
'ii)the motor vehicle industry :inparticular measures to
standardise the measurement offue1.consumpt ion,to
achieve lower fuel consumpt ion and longer vehicle life ;
iiil theelectrical appliance industry ,inparticular the
domestic appliance industry ,todetermine standard
measures ofenergy consumption ,toreduce energy con­
• '
sumption and toincrease the durabi lity ofappliances ;
energy transformation ,particularly the reduction of
*waste during the production ofelectricity ,and the
production ofcombined heat and power ;
the possibility offurther savings inselected energy -
intensive industries .1i>
iiil
iv)

This work ,tobesufficiently grounded inreality will have
tobeundertaken inthe closest and most direct contact with
the industries and professional associations concerned .
Potential conflicts may exist between other policy considera­
tions ,such asenvironmental orsocial policy ,andenergy
saving ,for which ah;lanced solution must befound .
The Commission also takes the view that the Community should
assist inthe financing ofselected demonstration projects ,
the results ofwhich would bemade available toall Member
States onanon-discriminatory .basis .-Without waiting for
further research arvd development ,demonstration projects should
beencouraged for the following :
i)heat pumps ,
.'if ) .heat recovery ,
.fii )the combined production ofheat and power ,
iv)energy storage ,
v)selected projects for reducing waste inindustry ,
vi)lowenergy houses ."
.Theprogramme will need tobecoordinated with national and
Community R&Dprogrammes .TheCommission will shortly submit
detailed proposals forCommunity demonstration programmes of
this kind.' "Overlaps' between theenergy conserva­
tion R&Dprogramme and thedemonstration programme ,must "be
avoided .
Drawing onthe experience ofmember states .
The scale ofthe task ahead and the limited resources avai­
lable suggests amajor effort topool theexperience of
individual Member States atthe level oftheCommunity .The
experience tobe -shared isasmuch political astechnical .
should therefore An"Energy Saving
Policy Committee /becreated atthehighest official level ,
within the framework of .theEnergy Committee ,composed of
those members ofnational administrations directly responsible
fortheimplementation ofanenergy conservation programme .
TheCommittee could expect tomeet ,say,twice ayear .

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16.The functions ofthe Energy Saving Policy Committee would be :
i)topool the experience ofindividual Member States at
the Community level ,byexamining ,inparticular ,how
administrations have mobilised thepolitical ,organi -
sational and technical support necessary for energy
saving programmes ;
ii)toassist the Commission inthe selection ofthe best methods
ofsaving energy arid togive policy impact tothem ;
iii)toensure the co-ordinated application ofnational efforts andto
advise the Commission onthe contribution the Community can .
make towards promoting national efforts# ^
17. .Under the general direction ofthe Energy Saving Policy
Committee ,the present Steering and Co-ordinating Group of
national experts onthe rational use ofenergy should continue
inexistence toadvise the Commission ondetailed proposals
and toguide the work ofgroups ofexperts inspecific sectors .
This should bedone inclose association with the Advisory
Committee for the Management ofthe energy conservation R&D
programme .
IV.Immediate Action
18.The Council ofMinisters isasked tonote with approval
the programme ofwork described above ,and theintention
tocreate anEnergy Saving Policy Committee ,asdescribed 1
ih§15and 16above ;and thepriorities identified in§13.
19* On "thebasis ofthe work already done bythe groups of"experts -,the
Commission -intends tosubmit a-series ofproposals forconcrete actions -
intime for adoption before the summer recess .They will cover :

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l)The improvement ofthermal insulation and the ef­
ficiency ofheating installations inexisting buil­
dings .The programme should provide asignificant
number ofemployment opportunities over the next ten
years and make amajor contribution tothe achieve­
ment ofthe Community 'sobjectives for energy con­
servation .The programme would bebased essentially on
national efforts ,with asupporting role for the
Community as awhole ;
< •. ■*• *
ii>Standards .ofinstallation and maintenance for newly
.irrstalled heating systems ;
iii) The setting upofone ormore national advisory
■bodies for energy saving ,with specific responsibili­
ties and. the appointment of anenergy manager
.inindustrial and commercial enterprises where the
scale ofenergy use justifies it.