First Part of `Clean Energy Package` finally adopted



The European Council adopted a revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU and parts of Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency today after lengthy negotiations with the European Commission and the Parliament. This is the first tool of the `Clean Energy for All Europeans` package, initially proposed by the European Commission on 30 November 2016, that completed the legislative procedure and will now come into force. The European Parliament already adopted the revised directive one month earlier, on 17 April 2018.

According to the European Council  the newly adopted, revised directive on the energy performance of buildings improves the energy efficiency in buildings and encourages building renovation. It, inter alia, promotes cost-effective renovation work, introduces a smartness indicator for buildings, simplifies the inspections of heating and air conditioning systems and promotes electro-mobility by setting up a framework for parking spaces for electric vehicles.


The European Council agreed on a negotiating position on the directive in June 2017. Negotiations between the Estonian Presidency and the European Parliament led to a provisional agreement on 19 December 2017 which was confirmed by the EU ambassadors on 31 January 2018. Following today's formal approval of the regulation by the Council, which is the final step in the legislative process, the directive will be published in the Official Journal of the EU, and will enter into force twenty days later. The transposition period for this legislation is 20 months. More information can be found here.


Despite todays`success, it is clear that negotiations on the remainder of the package are going tough in Brussels. More substantial parts of the package, like the new  recast electricity regulation and directive as well as the new renewable energy directive have not yet been adopted, neither by the European Parliament nor by the European Council. An overview of the progress that the `Clean Energy for All Europeans`package so far made in the legislative process can be found here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New EU Gas Package Proposal - A Legal Analysis

Image
  Today the European Commission presented its proposals for a new gas package, called the ` Hydrogen and Decarbonized Gas Markets´-package. The package consists of a revised Gas Directive (COM(2021) 803 final) (hereafter: rGD), a revised Gas Regulation (COM(2021) 804 final) (hereafter: rGR) and a Regulation on the Reduction of Methane Emissions in the Energy Sector (COM(2021) 805 final) (hereafter: MER). Today`s proposal are only the beginning of a longer legislative process, as the package needs to be discussed with and resolved by the Council and the European Parliament. However, it is crucial in setting the tone and the main pillars. Can the package deliver on hydrogen regulation, decarbonization and gas security of supply? This blog post takes a look and provides a legal analysis of the proposed revisions.
Read more

Dutch Elections: Energy and Climate Considerations

Image
    By Ceciel Nieuwenhout, Postdoctoral researcher at GCELS and City Council member for GroenLinks On 17 March 2021 the people of the Netherlands will elect a new House of Representatives ( Tweede Kamer) , which also kickstarts the formation process for a new government ( regering). This blogpost shows what is at stake regarding climate and energy policy, focusing on the election programmes of the different political parties. This blog consists of three parts. First, an introduction to the political landscape of the Netherlands will be given. Second, the context of these elections and the position of energy and climate policy therein will be illustrated. The third part of the blog shows the positions of the parties on various themes: general climate targets and international cooperation; the different opinions on the energy mix of the future; developments in hydrogen, infrastructure, storage and CCS. It concludes with some remarks on the built environment, and finally, the question “w
Read more

Independence of German National Regulatory Authority (NRA) called into Question - Case Comment C-718/18 Commission v Germany

Image
The Court of Justice of the European Union found on 2 September 2021 in case C-718/18 that Germany failed to properly transpose various provisions of the main EU Energy Directives of the Third Energy Package, namely 2009/72 (electricity) and 2009/73 (gas). Especially the allocation of responsibilities in German energy law ( Energiewirtschaftsgesetz EnWG ) is not in line with the envisaged responsibilities reserved exclusively for national regulatory authorities. In other words: the court found that there is too much possibility for political influence on decisions on network-bound energy in Germany. But what does this mean in detail? Will German Energy Law now have to undergo fundamental revision?
Read more