L 231/12
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
20.9.2023
(61)
Energy efficiency improvement measures also have a positive impact on air quality, as more energy efficient buildings contribute to reducing the demand for heating fuels, including solid heating fuels.
Energy efficiency measures therefore contribute to improving indoor and outdoor air quality and help achieve, in a cost-effective manner, the objectives of the Union’s air quality policy, as laid down in particular by Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council (22).
(62)
With a view to ensuring a stable and predictable contribution towards achieving the Union’s energy and climate targets for 2030 and the climate neutrality objective for 2050, Member States are required to achieve cumulative end-use energy savings for the entire obligation period up to 2030, equivalent to new annual savings of at least 0,8 % of final energy consumption up to 31 December 2023 and of at least 1,3 % from 1 January 2024, 1,5 % from 1 January 2026 and 1,9 % from 1 January 2028.
That requirement could be met by new policy measures that are adopted during the obligation period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2030 or by new individual actions as a result of policy measures adopted during or before the previous period, provided that the individual actions that trigger energy savings are introduced during the following period.
To that end, Member States should be able to make use of an energy efficiency obligation scheme, alternative policy measures, or both.
(63)
For the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2023, Cyprus and Malta should be required to achieve cumulative end-use energy savings equivalent to new savings of 0,24 % of annual final energy consumption averaged over the most recent three-year period preceding 1 January 2019.
For the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2030, Cyprus and Malta should be required to achieve cumulative end-use energy savings of 0,45 % of annual final energy consumption, averaged over the most recent three-year period preceding 1 January 2019.
(64)
Where using an obligation scheme, Member States should designate obligated parties among transmission system operators, distribution system operators, energy distributors, retail energy sales companies and transport fuel distributors or transport fuel retailers on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory criteria.
The designation or exemption from designation of certain categories of such entities should not be understood to be incompatible with the principle of non-discrimination.
Member States are therefore able to choose whether such entities or only certain categories thereof are designated as obligated parties.
To empower and protect people affected by energy poverty, vulnerable customers, people in low-income households and, where applicable, people living in social housing, and to implement policy measures as a priority among those people, Member States can require obligated parties to achieve energy savings among those people.
For that purpose, Member States can also establish energy cost reduction targets.
Obligated parties could achieve those targets by promoting the installation of measures that lead to energy savings and financial savings on energy bills, such as the installation of insulation and heating measures, and by supporting energy savings initiatives by renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities.
(65)
When designing policy measures to fulfil the energy savings obligation, Member States should respect the climate and environmental standards and priorities of the Union and comply with the principle of ‘do no significant harm’ within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2020/852.
Member States should not promote activities that are not environmentally sustainable such as the use of fossil fuels.
The energy savings obligation aims at strengthening the response to climate change by promoting incentives to Member States to implement a sustainable and clean policy mix, which is resilient, and mitigates climate change.
Therefore, energy savings from policy measures regarding the use of direct fossil fuel combustion may be eligible energy savings under the energy savings obligation under certain conditions and for a transitional period following the transposition of this Directive in accordance with an annex to this Directive.
It will allow aligning the energy savings obligation with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Climate Target Plan, the Renovation Wave, and mirror the need for action identified by the International Energy Agency in its net zero report.
The restriction aims at encouraging Member States to spend public money into future-proof, sustainable technologies only.
It is important that Member States provide a clear policy framework and investment certainty to market actors.
The implementation of the calculation methodology under the energy
(22) Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC (OJ L 344, 17.12.2016, p. 1).