5.4.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 125/299 Wednesday 14 September 2022
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The energy efficiency first principle should always be applied in a proportional way and the requirements of this Directive should not entail overlapping or conflicting obligations on Member States, where the application of the principle is ensured directly by other legislation.
This might be the case for the projects of common interest included in the Union list pursuant to Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2022/869 of the European Parliament and of the Council (15), which introduces the requirements to consider the energy efficiency first principle in the development and assessment for those projects.
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A fair transition towards a climate-neutral Union by 2050 is central to the European Green Deal.
Energy poverty is a key concept consolidated in the legislative package entitled ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ and designed to facilitate a just energy transition.
Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 and Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council (16), the Commission provided indicative guidance on appropriate indicators for measuring energy poverty and defining what a ‘significant number of households in energy poverty’ is (17).
Directive (EU) 2019/944 and Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (18) requires Member States to take appropriate measures to address energy poverty wherever it is identified, including measures addressing the broader context of poverty.
This is particularly relevant in a context of rising energy prices and inflationary pressure, where both short and long-term measures should be implemented to address systemic challenges to the Union's energy system.
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Low and medium income households, vulnerable customers, including final users, people facing or risking energy poverty and people living in social housing, as well as SMEs and micro-enterprises, should benefit from the application of the energy efficiency first principle.
Energy efficiency measures should be implemented as a priority to improve the situations of those individuals and households and to alleviate energy poverty and should not encourage any disproportionate increase in housing, mobility or energy costs.
A holistic approach in policy making and in implementing policies and measures requires Member States to ensure that other policies and measures have no adverse effect on these individuals and households.
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This Directive is part of a broader policy framework of energy efficiency policies addressing energy efficiency potentials in specific policy areas, including buildings (Directive 2010/31/EU (19)), products (Directive 2009/125/EC, Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 and Regulation (EU) 2020/740 (20)) and governance mechanism (Regulation (EU) 2018/1999).
Those policies play a very important role in delivering energy savings when products are replaced or buildings constructed or renovated (21).
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Reaching an ambitious energy efficiency target requires barriers to be removed in order to facilitate investment in energy efficiency measures.
The LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme will dedicate funding to support development of the European best practice in energy efficiency policy implementation addressing behavioural, market, and regulatory barriers to energy efficiency.
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Regulation (EU) 2022/869 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2022 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure, amending Regulations (EC) No 715/2009, (EU) 2019/942 and (EU) 2019/943 and Directives 2009/73/EC and (EU) 2019/944, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 (OJ L 152, 3.6.2022, p. 45).
Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU (OJ L 158, 14.6.2019, p. 125).
Commission Recommendation on energy poverty, C(2020) 9600 final.
Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC (OJ L 211, 14.8.2009, p. 94).
Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings (OJ L 153, 18.6.2010, p. 13).
Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products; Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2017 setting a framework for energy labelling and Regulation (EU) 2020/740 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 2020 on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other parameters respectively.
Moreover, implementation of the product reviews under the Ecodesign Working Plan 2020-2024 and the ‘Renovation Wave’ Action plan, together with the review of the EPBD, will make an important contribution to reaching the 2030 energy saving target.
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