Revising the Energy Efficiency Directive: Fit for 55 package [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Alex Wilson.

On 14 July 2021 the European Commission adopted the ‘fit for 55’ package with a view to adapting existing EU climate and energy legislation to the new EU objective of a minimum 55 % reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, in accordance with the new European Climate Law. The fit for 55 package is part of the European Green Deal, a flagship of the von der Leyen Commission that will involve further climate-related legislation and other new initiatives to set the EU firmly on the path towards net zero GHG emissions (climate neutrality) by 2050.

The fit for 55 package includes a recast of the energy efficiency directive (EED), aligning its provisions to the new -55 % GHG target. The EED currently sets out the level of energy savings that the EU needs to make to meet the agreed goal of 32.5 % energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The recast EED would require Member States to almost double their annual energy savings obligations, leading the way by means of action throughout the public sector, action to address energy poverty, and other measures to help to deliver 9 % more energy savings than envisaged by the existing EED and in the 2021-2030 national energy and climate plans.

The file has been referred to the ITRE committee, where the rapporteur is still preparing his draft report.

Versions

Revising the Energy Efficiency Directive: Fit for 55 package (1st edition)

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy efficiency (recast)

Committee responsible:	Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)	COM(2021) 558 14.7.2021
Rapporteur:	Niels Fuglsang (S&D, Denmark)	2021/0203(COD)
Shadow rapporteurs:	Pernille Weiss (EPP, Denmark)	Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’)

Next steps expected: Initial discussions in committee