16.5.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 130/3
(11)
The increase in the price for fossil fuels can disproportionally affect vulnerable households, vulnerable microenterprises and vulnerable transport users who spend a larger part of their income on energy and transport, who, in certain regions, do not have access to alternative, affordable mobility and transport solutions, and who may lack the financial capacity to invest in the reduction of fossil fuel consumption.
Geographic specificities, such as islands, outermost regions and territories, rural or remote areas, less accessible peripheries, mountainous areas or areas that are lagging behind, can have specific impacts in the context of transport poverty on the vulnerability of households, micro-enterprises and transport users.
Therefore, those geographic specificities should be taken into account when preparing measures and investments in support of vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises and vulnerable transport users, where applicable and relevant.
(12)
A part of the revenues generated by the inclusion of buildings, road transport and additional sectors within the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC should be used to address the social impacts arising from that inclusion, in order for the transition to be just and inclusive, leaving no one behind.
The overall amount of the Social Climate Fund established under this Regulation (the ‘Fund’) should reflect the level of decarbonisation ambition from the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, road transport and additional sectors within the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC.
(13)
Using part of the revenues to address the social impacts arising from the inclusion of the buildings, road transport and additional sectors within the scope of Directive 2003/87/EC is even more relevant in view of the existing levels of energy poverty.
Energy poverty is a situation in which households are unable to access essential energy services that underpin a decent standard of living and health, such as adequate warmth through heating, cooling, as temperatures rise, lighting, and energy to power appliances.
In a 2021 Union-wide survey, approximately 34 million Europeans, nearly 6,9 % of the population of the Union, said that they could not afford to heat their home sufficiently.
Energy poverty is therefore a major challenge for the Union.
While social tariffs or temporary direct income support can provide immediate relief to households facing energy poverty in the short term, only targeted structural measures, in particular building renovations, including through access to energy from renewable sources and the active promotion of renewable energy sources through information and awareness-raising measures targeted at households, and building renovations that contribute to the objectives established in Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (7) can provide lasting solutions and effectively help combat energy poverty.
It should be possible for the definition of energy poverty under this Regulation to be updated to reflect the outcome of the negotiations on a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy efficiency (recast).
(14)
A holistic approach to building renovations that takes into account in a more efficient way people at risk of exclusion, namely those who suffer most from energy poverty in the Union, could lead to less demand for energy.
Therefore, the support under the Fund to the buildings sector should aim to improve energy efficiency, leading to a reduction in energy consumption for each household that would be visible in terms of the money saved and, as a result, would provide one means of combating energy poverty.
The revision of Directive 2010/31/EU would lay the foundations for those objectives to be achieved and should therefore be taken into account when implementing this Regulation.
(15)
Since transport poverty has not yet been defined at Union level, such a definition should be introduced for the purpose of this Regulation.
Transport poverty could become an even more pressing issue, as recognised in the Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality (8), and result in diminished access to essential socioeconomic activities and services such as employment, education or healthcare, in particular for vulnerable individuals and households.
Transport poverty is usually caused by one or a combination of factors such as low income, high fuel expenditures, or a lack of affordable or accessible private or public transport.
Transport poverty can particularly affect individuals and households in rural, insular, peripheral, mountainous, remote and less accessible areas or less developed regions or territories, including less developed periurban areas and the outermost regions.
(7) 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).
(8) OJ C 243, 27.6.2022, p. 35.