52006IP0243

P6_TA(2006)0243

Energy efficiency (Green Paper)

European Parliament resolution on Energy efficiency or doing more with less — Green Paper (2005/2210(INI))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission Green Paper on Energy Efficiency or Doing More with Less (COM (2005)0265),

- having regard to Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002 on the energy performance of buildings [1],

- having regard to Directive 2004/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 on the promotion of cogeneration based on a useful heat demand in the internal energy market [2] (the "Cogeneration Directive"),

- having regard to Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2005 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-using products [3],

- having regard to Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on energy end-use efficiency and energy services [4],

- having regard to Council Directive 92/75/EEC of 22 September 1992 on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by household appliances [5],

- having regard to the Commission proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the seventh framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) (COM(2005)0119) (the "seventh Framework Programme"),

- having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2001 on the Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Action Plan to Improve Energy Efficiency in the European Community [6],

- having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2000 on the Commission's second report to the Council and the European Parliament on the state of liberalisation of the energy markets [7],

- having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the opinions of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A6-0160/2006),

A. whereas energy efficiency is the relationship between energy supplied and energy used,

B. whereas energy consumption has been historically linked with economic growth, and improvements in energy efficiency bring about a decoupling of the positive correlation between energy consumption and economic output, thus improving the energy intensity of the economy,

C. whereas energy conservation can arise from improvements in energy efficiency,

D. whereas energy efficiency is the largest, fastest and cheapest response to the challenges of security of energy, rising and volatile energy prices and environmental concerns,

E. whereas energy consumption has risen yearly in the EU at a rate of 1% on average and energy intensity has decreased by a third in the last 35 years, but recently this rate of decrease has fallen sharply,

F. whereas the Commission has calculated that the EU could save 20 % of its current energy uses in a cost-effective manner, on the basis of studies that do not take into consideration the high energy prices that we are now experiencing, and will continue to experience in the future,

G. whereas reductions in energy intensity do not entail a reduction in GDP growth,

H. whereas energy efficiency makes an important contribution to increasing the EU's competitiveness and employment and to achieving the Lisbon goals,

I. whereas estimated gross energy consumption in buildings amounts to 27 %, in transport to 20 % and in industry to 18 % of total consumption,

J. whereas in 2004, in the EU of 25 Member States, 28 % of final energy use was in the industrial sector, 31 % in transport and 41% in buildings,

K. whereas electrical transmission and distribution losses amount to between 10% and 12% on average, depending on the distance between the supplier and the consumer, while heat transmission and distribution losses are more variable and depend not only on distance but also on the method of insulation,

L. whereas an EU-wide harmonised and un-bureaucratic benchmarking system can be a useful tool to measure energy efficiency gains,

M. whereas there are several legislative texts in force relating to energy efficiency which are already effective, and another one which must be transposed within the year, and the Member States' first national energy efficiency action plans must be in place by 1 June 2007,

N. whereas the correct transposition and full implementation of existing directives would contribute significantly to improving energy efficiency, thus reducing the energy intensity of our economy in a costeffective manner,

O. whereas, furthermore, the calculation of cost-effectiveness must include the costs of inaction and the expected economic benefits from early action and innovation as well as from technological learning, which will drive down mitigation costs,

P. whereas there is no framework directive for energy efficiency in transport,

Q. whereas in the new agreement on the financial framework the budget for R&D has been considerably reduced,

R. whereas energy efficient appliances and technologies such as lamps, movement sensitive light switches, heat-pumps intelligent metering systems managed by remote control and gas top-boxes, as well as energy services, are available to consumers, yet market penetration of such goods and services is not significant, even though the Lisbon strategy lays great emphasis on support for business start-ups in the field of clean technologies, viewed as a potential new source of employment,

S. whereas an ambitious energy efficiency policy must be put in place in order to close the gap between technical possibilities and their use in practice,

T. whereas industry's responsibilities to contribute to energy efficiency improvements as well as curbing CO2 emissions must be seen against the background of supporting manufacturing at high efficiency and emission standards and the development of innovative technologies,

U. whereas many consumers feel they lack the necessary information on efficient energy consumption and on the real cost of energy but would be willing to change their habits accordingly, if different tariff options were offered and if they were properly informed by means of a comprehensive labelling system detailing the energy efficiency of appliances and vehicles,

V. whereas the EU is supposed to become the most sustainable and energy-efficient economy in the world by 2020,

W. whereas European, national, local and regional levels and all involved stakeholders as well as independent experts need to cooperate closely on energy efficiency,

1. Urges Member States to fully implement European directives in the field of energy efficiency, notably those on the energy performance of buildings, promotion of cogeneration, liberalisation of the energy markets, and energy end-use efficiency and energy services;

2. Asks the Commission to ensure that Member States fully implement all existing EU legislation in the field of energy; suggests to speed up the infringement procedures for the institutions to gain credibility in the enforcement of European law;

3. Recalls that if Member States were to fully implement existing EU legislation, 50 % of the EU target to save 20 % of energy by 2020 would already be met;

4. Calls on the Commission to provide clear and accessible information on the state of implementation of the EU energy directives, and asks the Commission to produce monthly updates to be published on the Commission's Directorate-General for Energy and Transport website;

5. Asks the Commission to analyse the interplay of different pieces of legislation (e.g. the directives concerning emissions trading, large combustion plants, integrated pollution prevention and control, combined heat and power (CHP) etc.) in promoting energy efficiency and its impact on the sectors covered;

6. Asks the Commission, where it can act on the basis of existing directives under the comitology procedure, to do so immediately; points out in this respect the Commission's obligation within the framework of Directive 2005/32/EC to adopt so-called implementing measures by May 2007 for the groups of products which offer a high potential for cost-effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;

7. Awaits with interest the Commission's Energy Efficiency Action Plan and will be particularly vigilant in ensuring that it is consistent with previous legislation;

8. Calls on the Commission to set out differing energy efficiency scenarios in the European Energy Efficiency Action Plan with a particular view to ascertaining the implications for energy use, the energy mix and CO2 reduction;

9. Draws attention to the fact that the price of oil is now significantly higher than that on which the energy savings target of 20 % in the Green Paper is based, which results in a substantial increase in the costeffectiveness of energy efficiency measures; calls therefore on the Commission to raise the savings target accordingly;

10. Calls on the Commission to propose, in the Energy Efficiency Action Plan, practical measures to be taken at both European and national level;

11. Calls on the Commission to submit a coherent strategy for safeguarding energy supplies, increasing energy efficiency and promoting renewable energies; considers that the various policy fields should complement one another with regard to this subject and that, given the numerous initiatives, rules and projects which exist at EU level, in many cases it is impossible for consumers to recognise their respective goals;

12. Considers that increased investment in renewable sources of energy and energy saving technologies are crucial as they are key tools by which to decrease energy demand, fight climate change and ensure energy supply, and that the EU could also benefit greatly by exporting these technologies to countries whose expected exponential increase in energy consumption will force them to invest considerable amounts in environmental technologies; therefore calls for the seventh Framework Programme to guarantee substantial funds in favour of these technologies;

13. Calls on the Commission, in close agreement with the Member States and the European Parliament and taking full account of the scientific and economic facts, to set an ambitious but realistic target of at least 20 % improvement in energy efficiency by 2020 and consider setting individual targets for different sectors, taking into consideration national circumstances and the past achievements of Member States and their ability to adapt to imminent legislation or legislation already in force but still to be implemented;

14. Stresses that the target of 9% in nine years stipulated in Directive 2006/32/EC can only be a minimum target; stresses also that the savings target in every country, despite divergent trends, is well above one percentage point a year; sees the necessity of requiring greater energy savings if, as expected, energy use continues to rise;

15. Would like the Commission to assess the effects on disadvantaged members of society of the proposals it has put forward for discussion; notes that certain tax proposals, in particular, are likely to place a disproportionate burden on such people;

16. Stresses the need for Member States to adopt National Energy Efficiency Action Plans based on ambitious and realistic mandatory annual targets; calls on the Member States to provide adequate funding for the implementing agencies and programmes at national and local level;

17. Suggests that the Commission conduct an impact assessment of the administrative costs of introducing a system to control energy efficiency gains; believes that the cost-benefit principle should be applied to each legislative initiative regarding energy efficiency and with regard being had to the economic costs of global warming and of energy insecurity, given that energy efficiency is important in cutting CO2 emissions and improving security of supply;

18. Recommends that the Commission systematically evaluate the expected benefits and classify the proposed measures in order of preference, giving priority to those areas and initiatives where major results will be immediately forthcoming, and providing a positive example to the Member States and their citizens; takes the view that this should also be reflected in national programmes of action;

19. Considers that local energy and environment agencies must also be supported financially by the establishment of an energy efficiency fund primarily aimed at projects and programmes dispersed throughout the country; considers that it is necessary, moreover, to encourage and publicise the role of professional facilitators, experts who have extensive knowledge of energy matters and the relevant technology and many contacts in the various sectors concerned, and can act as intermediaries between the public administrative authorities and investors in the sector;

20. Considers that local and regional level involvement should be considered when the cohesion and structural funds are configured and that, by the same token, particular account should be taken of local and regional level participation in the EU's support programmes, particularly when the "Intelligent Energy — Europe" programme is incorporated in the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP);

21. Calls on the Commission to review energy efficiency measures in order to ascertain their acceptance by consumers and to concentrate its efforts only on those measures which can be manifestly successful as quickly as possible;

22. Calls for all the measures to be implemented from the point of view of their impact on the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their competitiveness; stresses the important role that SMEs play in implementing energy efficiency opportunities within industry; realises that SMEs might struggle to implement the energy efficiency measures required by European legislation; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to this issue and provide, as far as is technically possible and economically viable, assistance in this matter not only in the form of Community aid but also by providing targeted advice and networking to help SMEs to gain access to information and exchange ideas on the best available technologies and best practice;

23. Notes the need to support efforts to improve energy efficiency using public funds; considers that public funding should be permitted only where it is essential, particularly in the initial phase of actions, following which it should be withdrawn and replaced by market mechanisms;

24. Realises that Member States may have difficulty in providing the financing to implement a number of cost-effective energy efficiency measures due to the upfront costs of such measures, in particular within the housing sector; calls on the Commission therefore to ensure that adequate structural funding is made available under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for housing and at the very least to ensure that Member States can use up to 10% of total ERDF funds for energy efficiency improvements in housing;

25. Remains of the view that completing the liberalisation of energy markets is essential to enhancing competitiveness, tackling energy prices and enhancing security of supply and energy efficiency, and therefore calls on the Commission to follow up and promote more intensively the implementation of the liberalisation process in the Member States, but supports the establishment of a better balanced framework regarding the promotion of investments to improve innovation and competition; notes that in such a framework, both Member States' and the EU's regulatory capabilities must be improved;

26. Believes economic incentives and funding instruments to be of decisive importance in encouraging fresh investment in new energy products and services; believes that the purpose of financial incentives should therefore be established precisely and clearly, bearing in mind, among other things, the competitiveness of European products and services;

27. Calls on the Commission to foster a legislative environment that fully supports and encourages the full potential of high-efficiency cogeneration installations, in particular for industrial uses as well as microcogeneration for SMEs, and asks Member States to implement the Cogeneration Directive in a way that reflects a realistic and economically feasible approach and avoids establishing barriers to this type of investment; furthermore, calls on the Member States to take full advantage of, and extend, the application of existing technology — including trigeneration — which exploits the energy currently wasted within industry and energy production;

28. Urges the Member States to implement the Cogeneration Directive in full to realise the vast potential energy savings from cogeneration and calls for a European cogeneration initiative for complementing the Directive in order to ensure clear and visible results in the coming years; takes the view that the promotion of cogeneration should be mainstreamed into all related EU policy fields, such as the environment, research, education, competition, industry, trade, and regional policy;

29. Considers that fiscal measures can be effective as an incentive as well as a deterrent and should be used as one tool to favour energy efficiency and to speed up the introduction of energy efficient solutions; stresses, that the tax system should also incorporate the "polluter pays" principle;

30. Considers that taxation plays a prominent role in enhancing energy efficiency; believes that efforts should be made to ensure that Member States' national tax systems discriminate in favour of energy efficient practices;

31. Considers that multilateral banks and public financial institutions should create an Energy Efficiency Fund granting money for energy efficiency projects; takes the view that energy efficiency objectives should also be integrated into other sectoral policies, especially fiscal policy, transport and cohesion policy; believes that innovative financing schemes and contractual tools, such as micro-credit and joint ventures between private companies and municipalities, must be proposed in order to involve actively local partners and decision-makers;

32. Considers, on the basis of positive experiences with household appliances, that it is necessary to examine the possibilities of extending energy efficiency labelling, or other consumer information solutions, to other products as well;

33. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage local authorities to take innovative steps to ensure efficient use of energy resources, including by stepping up the production of energy from alternative sources using tax relief and increased financial support from the EU;

34. Considers that there should be incentives for improving infrastructure and interconnections, in order to reduce transmission and distribution losses; believes that generation points should be rationally distributed within national territories as close as possible to where electricity is consumed; notes that renewable energy sources are particularly suited to decentralised generation;

35. Notes that electricity transmission and distribution are responsible for the loss of up 10 % of the electricity produced; draws attention to the fact that in some Member States these losses account for more than 20 % of the electricity produced; calls on the Member States to take urgent action to minimise the losses in electricity transmission and distribution networks;

36. Urges the Member States to implement speedily Directive 2002/91/EC; asks the Commission to rapidly evaluate its impact on energy consumption as well as on the economy and, in the case of positive results, to consider the possibility of gradually extending the scope of the Directive to fully cover all buildings, in particular to ensure that all existing residential buildings smaller than 1000m2 are also covered by an obligation to bring energy efficiency standards of components (e.g. roof insulation, windows) up to current new-build standards when the component is undergoing renovation, taking as a basis similar initiatives already in place in Member States;

37. Urges the Commission, when Directive 2002/91/EC is next revised, to do more to encourage the use of passive or natural sources of lighting, cooling, and heating, and to propose that the scope of the Directive be extended to cover urban amenities and spaces other than buildings in the strict sense;

38. Stresses the considerable importance of National Energy Efficiency Action Plans and the need to make them widely known to the general public so that society, non-governmental organisations, industry and politicians can also play an influential role in drawing up and monitoring them;

39. Calls for a European buildings initiative which coordinates upgrading energy performance standards for new buildings and creates incentives to speed up the renovation of the existing building stock; considers that particular attention should be given to passive heating and cooling; considers also that in order to maximise economic efficiency, the initiative must also co-ordinate the efforts of architects, property developers, owners, local politicians and must include training for building managers;

40. Stresses that, along with the need to broaden the scope of Directive 2002/91/EC to include significant renovations of buildings of all sizes, there is a need to provide adequate financing to accelerate the renovation of building blocks with the highest savings potential; believes that where applicable, these projects should be combined with the renovation of the district heating systems supplying these buildings, but notes that, below a critical population threshold, district heating is not viable;

41. Believes that the refurbishment and modernisation of district heating systems, as well as co-generation, should be strongly supported by means of clear targets and incentives;

42. Urges that the buildings of the European institutions should comply with the highest standards in the field of energy efficiency so that these buildings become centres of innovation;

43. Believes that the Member States should play an exemplary role in applying compulsory energy efficiency measures in the public sector, inter alia by buying efficient vehicles when renewing public transport fleets and applying efficiency standards when carrying out major renovations in buildings including, for example, energy efficiency criteria in public works contracts; in this respect, welcomes the introduction of National Energy Efficiency Action Plans;

44. Considers that those Action Plans should, as far as possible, create framework, cost-effective, coherent and market-compatible conditions, subject to impact assessment; considers, moreover, that the Action Plans should be consistent with the role of each player in the energy market structure;

45. Welcomes public-private partnerships because they can deliver significant results; notes that by having the common objective of improving energy efficiency in the EU, the combined effect of the joined forces of the public and private sectors is greater than the sum of individual efforts (for example in information campaigns and dissemination of best practices);

46. Calls on the Commission to promote the creation of a free energy services market with the same treatment and transparency for all operators that could lead the energy companies to develop the alternative business of energy efficiency and to induce them to contribute greatly to consumption reductions;

47. Calls on the European institutions to set a positive example by limiting greenhouse gas emissions in their various activities, through enhanced energy efficiency in office buildings and for all equipment used, low carbon travel etc; believes that special efforts should be made in relation to the travel of Members of the European Parliament, implying a reconsideration of the multiple locations of the European Parliament, lowcarbon vehicles for the drivers' service etc;

48. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to include a high level of energy efficiency among public procurement selection criteria;

49. Points out that energy service companies, through energy savings performance contracts, can provide the services required for building renovations relating to energy efficiency improvements without the need for initial investment by the contractor;

50. Considers that in the context of the revision of the Community guidelines on State aid for environmental protection, steps should be take to further encourage investment in energy efficiency measures;

51. Points out that EU regional policy funds could also be used to finance inter-regional projects providing know-how transfer to the Member States and regions lacking advanced technology development for energy efficiency;

52. Reminds Member States that, together with the Commission and its initiatives on "energy education", the provision of information to citizens is mainly a national, regional and local responsibility and calls for an increased effort in facilitating the provision of information to citizens and the private sector; considers that this information should include information on the availability of existing and cost-effective technology and on the increasing scarcity of resources; calls on the Commission to support, together with relevant national, local and regional institutions, an EU wide information and awareness raising campaign on best practice in energy efficiency and to support networks of excellence;

53. Reiterates the importance of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community [8] (the "EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Directive") for driving energy efficiency improvements in industry, reducing CO2 emissions and meeting the EU's current and post 2012 Kyoto obligations; calls for the inclusion of the aviation sector in the EU ETS;

54. Calls on Member States, regions and local authorities to cut the bureaucracy that hinders the application by citizens and the private sector of public incentives to use energy in a more efficient way;

55. Notes that communal waste contains a large quantity of chemical energy, which could be economically used if environmental protection conditions were also improved;

56. Stresses that there are considerable energy reserves in coal, as well as technological possibilities for the efficient and clean burning of coal and its conversion into gas and diesel fuels;

57. Draws Member States' attention to the need to modernise old heating and generation facilities;

58. Believes that, as the EU covers different time zones, crossborder electricity networks will facilitate energy supply during peak consumption periods and considerably reduce losses resulting from the need to maintain standby production capacity;

59. Calls on Member States and regions where there are large industrial conurbations to assess the potential for cogeneration and the amount of waste energy in these areas;

60. Calls on the Commission to make full use of the experience gained from SAVE and "Intelligent Energy — Europe" projects among Member States and to multiply its efforts by disseminating and sharing best practices;

61. Welcomes the Commission's CARS 21 initiative and believes that an integrated approach to transport is necessary; considers however, that this approach should not imply a reduction in the obligations on any stakeholder; stresses the importance and necessity of a framework directive for energy efficiency in transport; calls on the Commission and Member States to bring forward national sustainable transport initiatives, which focus on city mobility, train infrastructure, energy-efficient cars and modal shift; considers that the EU should evaluate current, and — if appropriate — propose new, efficiency standards for cars after assessing the voluntary agreements with the automobile industry;

62. Believes that energy assessment of the functioning of cities, where urban transport is concerned, in particular interconnections, should be made a priority and properly addressed in the criteria for Structural Fund support;

63. Notes that advanced new aircraft already consume significantly less fuel, but nevertheless urges that research in this field be speeded up;

64. Recalls that roughly 59 % of the oil consumed in Europe in 2004 was used by the transport sector, and of the rest 17% was used in buildings, 16% in non-energy uses and 8% in industry; notes that the Commission expects energy demand in the transport sector to grow by at least 30 % until 2030, with an increase of up to 5 % per year for air transport, which will increase emissions and dependency on imported energy;

65. As far as the transport sector is concerned, calls for a comprehensive strategy to phase out fossil fuel use in, and to minimise CO2 emissions from, the transport sector, including by greatly increasing the production and use of the latest technology biofuels in accordance with the Commission's biofuels strategy and creating much higher fiscal incentives for low-emission vehicles, as already proposed by the Commission in its proposal for a Council Directive on passenger car related taxes (COM(2005)0261);

66. Also considers it urgent that the Commission submit proposals for sustained, long-term improvement in energy efficiency and conservation in the transport sector, including legislative proposals to achieve: (a) doubly fuel-efficient cars and vans, (b) a transfer of traffic from road and air to rail and water, and (c) more public transport;

67. Considers the growth of transport — notably road transport — to be one of the main obstacles to curbing Europe's energy demand; calls on the Commission to examine the progress made under the voluntary agreement with European car manufacturers and, if necessary, consider additional measures to reach the targets set;

68. Considers that captive fleets, particularly in big cities, offer a good potential for promoting new and more efficient solutions for urban mobility; calls on Member States to use public procurement and tax relief for the promotion of more efficient means of transport, thus contributing to build up the markets for cleaner and more efficient vehicles and fuels;

69. Calls on Member States to promote market transformation programmes that accelerate the spread of best efficient technologies available such as CHP and cutting-edge technologies, such as energy efficient "A+/A++" class appliances, in the market and asks the Commission to consider introducing the "top runner" approach in Europe;

70. Supports the harmonisation of standards in the internal market via the introduction of labelling schemes and benchmarks, but stresses the need, in the context of international trade negotiations, to transpose these standards to international level;

71. Asks the Commission to review and revise on a regular basis instruments such as labelling and energy efficiency standards so that they reflect technological developments;

72. Stresses the importance of a European market transformation for appliances, office equipment, consumer electronics and industrial engines to increase energy efficiency; believes that this could be realized through the introduction of more stringent minimum standard requirements, progressive public procurement programmes, targeted information campaigns and improved energy labelling;

73. Takes the view that the system of tradable "white certificates" should not be followed up at present, as it will be necessary to wait for the results of emissions trading, and the emissions trading system must first be optimised to take account of experience to date;

74. Stresses that the effects of the white certificate system should be ascertained precisely before its possible introduction; notes that there are also other ways of achieving the same savings;

75. Calls on the Commission to examine energy saving possibilities in the agricultural sector and incorporate them within its initiatives in this area;

76. Calls on the Commission and Member States to promote the spread of products and technologies which ensure that goods and appliances only use energy when it is actually needed (for example movement sensitive lighting and appliances without a standby mode);

77. Calls on Member States to ensure that their market surveillance systems are stringent and effective so that appliances, that do not conform with the EU's existing labelling schemes do not enter the EU market;

78. Calls for the early introduction of an "energy consumption per kilometre" label for the transport sector so that consumers can choose, for example, between rail, air and car travel in the light of an understanding of the energy implications;

79. Considers furthermore that the EU car labelling system needs to be reinforced by measures to promote the market penetration of low CO2 emission and/or biohydrogen-fuelled vehicles, as well as wider measures such as much greater enforcement of speed limits, improving road and traffic management systems and infrastructure as well as supporting improved driving skills;

80. Considers that high levels of spending on research and development at national and EU level are necessary to enable the potential for energy efficiency to be exploited and criticises, in that respect, the decision of the Heads of State and Government as regards the financial framework for 2007-2013 and the reduction it implies for the budget of the seventh Framework Programme; considers it is essential that the EU lead by example by treating research expenditure within the seventh Framework Programme in the field of energy efficiency as a priority, taking into account the considerable potential for energy efficiency gains, reductions in emissions and a global market for new and efficient equipment and systems, and refraining from cutting the seventh Framework Programme budget in the energy efficiency sector, and calls for Member States, industry and the seventh Framework Programme to achieve successful demonstrations in all these areas; considers that the CIP must play an important role in the promotion and marketing of new technologies;

81. Stresses that the relevant European financial instruments such as the Structural Funds, Cohesion Fund, research and development programmes and the CIP should accord substantially greater priority to investment in energy conservation and energy efficiency; calls on the international financing institutions such as the European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank and also public banks at a national level to include energy audit procedures in all their activities, to have dedicated and specialised energy conservation departments and to initiate special credit schemes for their investments, for example for the accelerated renovation of buildings or of public transport infrastructure and to streamline the access to risk capital for energy efficiency investments as well as to introduce standardised risk assessments for energy efficiency investment in order to reduce administrative burdens;

82. Calls for the extension of the Cohesion Fund to cover areas such as energy efficiency and measures to promote clean urban communications and public transport systems, which will be of particular value to the new Member States where the greatest margins for energy savings exist;

83. Calls on the Commission to adopt a horizontal approach when drawing up future policies or legislative proposals so as to ensure that energy efficiency criteria are invariably taken into account; also considers that energy efficiency should be treated as a favourable ground in Community grant award procedures;

84. Recognises that the Commission's own resources in the field of energy efficiency do not match either its ambition in this field or the urgency to act; calls on the Commission President to ensure that increased resources are made available to ensure that the Commission's ambition in this area is matched by its own resources;

85. Calls on Member States and the Commission to enhance international cooperation in the energy efficiency field to ensure that new regulations and standards do not fragment the global market;

86. Believes that promoting energy efficiency at the global level will be at least as important as dialogue with energy producing countries; believes that energy efficiency must be integrated into EU foreign policy, not least its development cooperation, as well as in the framework of dialogues with energy producing countries and with counterparts in emerging economies (including China, India and Brazil), in Eastern European, Balkan and Mediterranean countries, and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries;

87. Points out that at present some 188 million household appliances in Europe are over ten years old and around 50 % of the energy they require could be saved by replacing them; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to speed up the replacement of appliances by means of appropriate, economically oriented measures such as tax incentives for manufacturers or campaigns to give purchasers discounts;

88. Calls on the Commission to explore the potential for intelligent use of information and communication technologies to enhance energy and material efficiency, through dematerialisation, intelligent buildings, transport substitution etc. and to provide the necessary policy frameworks to encourage such developments;

89. Calls on the Commission to explore the opportunities provided by the internal electricity market to use energy more efficiently, making the most of the comparative advantage in selected countries for efficient as well as low carbon power production and considering at the same time whether the system of national emission reduction quotas makes sense in a situation with increased trans-border trade;

90. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.

[1] OJ L 1, 4.1.2003, p. 65.

[2] OJ L 52, 21.2.2004, p. 50.

[3] OJ L 191, 22.7.2005, p. 29.

[4] OJ L 114, 27.4.2006, p. 64.

[5] OJ L 297, 13.10.1992, p. 16.

[6] OJ C 343, 5.12.2001, p. 190.

[7] OJ C 121, 24.4.2001, p. 451.

[8] OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32.

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