After lengthy negotiations with the teams of the European Parliament and the European Commission, agreements have been reached on two of the legislative proposals from Clean Energy for all Europeans package, which have been discussed during the first Bulgarian Presidency – amending the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Governance of the Energy Union Regulation. This is another important step towards achieving EU's ambitious targets on the way to a low-carbon economy.
The new regulatory framework sets a balanced approach by providing flexibility to Member States. An indicative EU target of 32.5% for energy efficiency is foreseen for the period by 2030. For the first time, Member States have the freedom to choose different elements in the implementation of energy efficiency policy, taking into account the specificities of their economies and depending on their national priorities.
With the Governance Regulation, a reliable and flexible framework for Member States' climate and energy policy has been adopted in the light of energy efficiency and renewable energy targets by 2030 and EU's international commitments.
Clean Energy for All Europeans package is the basis for the real implementation of the Energy Union. The successful finalization of the texts of the small sub-package, including the files on the recast of the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Directive on the promotion of energy from renewable sources and the Governance of the Energy Union, together with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (completed at the end of 2017), provides the necessary basis for negotiation on the electricity market design files. Clean Energy for All Europeans package will ensure stability and incentives for investors by guaranteeing the security of Member States' energy systems. Following the final adoption of the proposed legislative documents (the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Governance of the Energy Union Regulation) by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, the new legislation will be published in the Official Journal of the EU.