Commission staff working document - Accompanying document to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Mobilising Information and Communication Technologies to facilitate the transition to an energy efficient, low carbon economy - Summary of the impact assessment {COM(2009) 111 final} {SEC(2009) 268} {SEC(2009) 269}
Date: 2009-03-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: carbon, energy policy, environmental protection, information technology, telecommunications

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 12.3.2009 
SEC(2009) 270 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Accompanying document to the 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

on Mobilising Information and Communication Technologies to facilitate the transition 
to an energy efficient, low carbon economy  

SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT 

{COM(2009) 111 final} 
{SEC(2009) 268} 
{SEC(2009) 269}

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SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT 

Following  the  Commission’s  adoption  of  a  first  Communication  on  ICT  for  energy 
efficiency1,  an  extensive  period  of  public  consultation,  study  and  expert  input  has  clarified 
how  ICTs  can  contribute  to  energy  efficiency  and  more  broadly  in  moving  the  European 
economy and society at large onto a more energy efficient footing. In attempting to quantify 
this  potential,  strong  evidence  emerged  that  it  was  the  very  issue  of  quantification, 
measurability and accountability across virtually all economic and civic sectors that posed one 
of the greatest problems in terms of realising energy efficiency gains and, conversely, one of 
the  greatest  opportunities  for  the  ICT  sector  to  contribute  to  meeting  the  EU’s  energy 
efficiency goals. The consultation has also indicated the readiness of some stakeholder groups 
to  take  initiatives  within  a  policy  framework  at  EU-level.  Various  business-led  and  city-
regional partnership initiatives already exist and could be reinforced.  

Problem definition 

The  key  problem  identified  in  the  Impact  Assessment  is  that  –  while  many  ICT  tools  and 
technologies are already available and can be made commercially viable – they are not used 
on a mass scale and the potential of ICT for improving energy efficiency cannot be therefore 
fully  realised.  Several  obstacles/barriers  to  faster  deployment  of  ICT  tools  and  ICT-based 
innovations are identified in the ICT sector itself, in the major energy using sectors and in the 
economy  at  large  (businesses,  households,  public  administrations  at  all  levels):  lack  of 
awareness  and  visibility  of  information,  absence  of  commonly  agreed  measurement, 
quantification  and  management  methodologies  and  tools,  particularly  for  complex  systems, 
investment  problem,  interoperability  and  standardisation  issues,  slow  innovation  adoption, 
absence of cross-sectoral partnerships and limited use of green public procurement.  

The Commission has put in place both regulatory and non-regulatory measures in the area of 
energy  efficiency  and  continues  to  strengthen  those  measures.  Nevertheless,  the  reviewed 
Energy  Efficiency  Action  Plan2  states  that  most  Member  States  are  so  far  not  on  the  right 
track  to  achieve  the  20%  energy  efficiency  target  and  acceleration  of  efforts  is  needed.  A 
specific  initiative  on  ICT  for  energy  efficiency  can  play  a  complementary,  enabling  and 
reinforcing role in the effort to meet the 2020 energy efficiency target.  

Subsidiarity 

The  challenges  are  cross  cutting,  trans-border  and  indeed  global.  Problems  persist  in  all 
Member States. Even in the Member States that have made the most progress and individual 
efforts  in  support  of  the  energy  efficiency  goals,  the  market  is  visibly  not  remedying  the 
obstacles  identified  fast  enough.  Under  these  conditions,  common  efforts  at  the  European 
level  are  necessary  and  can  facilitate  the  emergence  of  the  framework  conditions  for 
economies  to  integrate  energy  efficient  solutions  in  production  processes  and  business  and 
consumer  consumption  patterns.  European  co-ordination  could  offer  synergies  between 
actions at Member State and regional levels. It is acknowledged that international institutions 
have  a  role  to  play  in  providing  independent  platforms  for  exchange  for  stakeholders  and 

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COM(2008)  241,  13.5.2008:  Addressing  the  challenge  of  energy  efficiency  through  Information  and 
Communication Technologies. 
COM(2008) 742 Communication Energy Efficiency: delivering the 20% target. 

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assuming the crucial leadership role. In the current context there have been explicit calls from 
industry for EU leadership. 

Objectives 

The  main  objective  is  to  leverage  ICT  in  order  to  contribute  to  the  EU  goals  in  the  area  of 
energy  and  climate  change  through  wider  and  faster  take-up  of  ICT-based  innovations  both 
within the ICT sector itself, in other major energy-using activities and through taking the first 
steps (measurement and awareness) in enabling a structural shift to an energy-efficient, low-
carbon information society. 

Broad Policy Options 

The four broad policy options have been considered:  

–  Option 1: no further EU action 

–  Option  2:  Stronger  collaboration  and  partnership  within  existing  frameworks 

highlighted in a second Communication 

–  Option  3:  Commission  Recommendation  on  mobilising  ICT  to  facilitate  the 
transition  to  an  energy-efficient,  low-carbon  economy,  accompanied  by  a 
Communication  

–  Option 4: Regulatory or legislative measures 

Option  4  was  discarded  in  an  early  stage  of  the  assessment.  A  regulatory  approach  would 
inevitably  impose  a  greater  cost  and  administrative  burden,  notably  on  SMEs,  and  could 
unhelpfully constrain developments in a highly innovative field. Furthermore, it would not be 
appropriate  to  impose  strict  regulatory  measures  on  the  ICT  sector  at  this  stage  given  that 
other sectors have so far not been subject to targeted regulatory intervention to reduce their 
energy consumption. 

The  assessment  of  Option  1  concluded  that  the  current  initiatives  –  whether  in  the  form  of 
existing policy instruments or voluntary initiatives by different actors – will improve energy 
efficiency but do not sufficiently address the key problems outlined in the impact assessment 
and present a risk that their implementation on the ground will be rather slow and piecemeal 
with respect to the global 2020 energy efficiency target of 20%.  

Option 2 focuses on strengthening research under the Framework Programme and the CIP and 
building on the opportunities for pre-commercial public procurement within the i2010 policy 
framework.  

Option  3  would  go  beyond  the  co-ordination  possibilities  of  existing  policy,  research  and 
innovation  frameworks  and  formulate  actions  into  recommendations  to  a  wider  range  of 
stakeholders  including  to  the  ICT  sector,  Member  States,  regional  and  local  authorities  and 
cities.  The  Recommendation  would  be  accompanied  by  supporting  measures  which  the 
Commission can put in place in order to facilitate its implementation.  

Policy options 2 and 3 were assessed against pre-defined criteria and in comparison to Option 
1.  The  assessment  showed  that  the  approach  addressing  a  wider  range  of  stakeholders, 
building new partnerships and focusing more on deployment and demand side rather than on 

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research and the existing frameworks at the EU level can bring more benefits and achieve the 
objectives faster. Option 3 was therefore selected as a preferred option.  

Analysis of sub-options under the Commission Recommendation  

The  preferred  policy  approach  was  analysed  in  more  depth  in  terms  of  the  concrete 
recommendations  that  could  be  envisaged.  Recommendations  with  a  differing  level  of 
ambition were proposed and assessed. Some measures were discarded on the grounds of their 
high cost, difficult implementation or high risk of non-compliance. The preferred sub-options 
for  a  Commission  Recommendation  address  the  ICT  sector,  the  key  energy-using  sectors 
(logistics, buildings and construction and energy end-use) and local and regional authorities. 
Their focus is on catalysing change through new partnerships, adoption and use of common 
methodologies  and  tools  for  monitoring,  measurement,  control  and  reporting  of  energy 
consumption.  ICT  sector  is  asked  to  take  leadership  and  agree  on  highly  ambitious  energy 
efficiency targets.  

Evaluation and monitoring 

The  preferred  option  does  carry  a  risk  of  non-realisation  irrespective  of  how  committed 
certain  sectors,  cities  and  businesses  appear  to  be.  In  order  to  assess  the  progress  in 
implementation  and  the  need  for  further  or  stronger  measures  in  the  future,  monitoring  will 
start immediately and a comprehensive evaluation will be carried out in 2012. 

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