COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 15 January 1985 on the improvement of energy-saving programmes in the Member States (85/C 20/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Commission communication of 2 February 1984 entitled "Comparison of Energy-Saving Programmes of EEC Member States",

Having regard to the Council resolutions of 9 June 1980 (1) concerning inter alia the increase in the Community of efforts to save energy and reduce oil consumption and imports, which recommended to Member States guidelines for a basic energy-saving programme,

Having regard to the Commission recommendation of 29 July 1980 on the rational use of energy in industrial enterprises (2),

Having regard to the Council recommendation of 28 July 1982 concerning the encouragement of investment in the rational use of energy (3),

Whereas, although encouraging progress has been made in the Member States of the Community during the past years, there still remains great potential in the Community for improving energy efficiency;

Whereas account should be taken of the factors of experience in defining new guidelines for a basic programme recommended to all the Member States having regard to the priorities and conditions peculiar to each of them; 1. Invites Member States to pursue and where necessary increase their efforts to promote the more rational use of energy by the further development of integrated energy-saving policies;

2. Recalls that such policies should be based on the principles of energy price policy and on the measures set out in the resolution of 9 June 1980 concerning new lines of action by the Community in the field of energy saving;

3. Notes that such policies should also be based on the guidelines contained in the Annex; (1) OJ No C 149, 18.6.1980, pp. 1 and 3. (2) OJ No L 239, 12.9.1980, p. 26. (3) OJ No L 247, 23.8.1982, p. 9.

4. Also notes the advisability of ensuring as far as possible that any measure affecting price levels is consistent with the objectives of energy-saving policy;

5. Takes note of the Commission's intention to pursue its action in favour of the rational use of energy, in particular by: - promoting the development of standardized measuring methods and, if necessary, of indicative reference standards for appliances and materials,

- drawing up sectoral programmes comprising, in the light of the results already achieved and possible improvements, specific proposals (e.g. in the building and transport sectors),

- disseminating throughout the Community the results obtained by national and Community research, development and demonstration programmes;

6. Notes that Member States will keep the Commission informed of the development of their energy-saving policies, thus enabling the latter to analyze the contribution they are making towards Community energy objectives and to report to the Council.

ANNEX Additional guidelines for a basic energy-saving programme recommended to all the Member States

A. ENERGY PRICING

1. It is particularly important from the point of view of the rational use of energy that energy be priced with due regard for the market and costs.

2. For this reason, the practical implementation of the price policy conclusions and recommendations adopted by the Council since 1980 remains as important as ever.

3. Any effective energy pricing in the context of the rational use of energy must above all seek to ensure that prices are not being maintained artificially below the real market level. It is urgent that efforts to implement this principle in the Member States be intensified.

B. MEASURES TO ENCOURAGE THE RATIONAL USE OF ENERGY

Without prejudice to the measures set out in the Council resolution of 9 June 1980 concerning new lines of action by the Community in the field of energy saving and in the light of experience gained, with a view to maximum efficiency, recourse to the following measures in whole or in part is recommended to the Member States depending on their specific priorities and conditions. 1. Information and consultation (a) Main methods - Information programmes with a view to stimulating further public awareness on the efficient use of energy by advertising campaigns based on specific topics;

- accompanying measures in the form of concrete advice and practical proposals;

- technical consultation measures, such as diagnostic measures (including, where appropriate, the idea of the energy bus).

(b) Means of implementation - Development of possibilities for the consumer to obtain useful advice at regional and local level on energy efficiency;

- encouragement to associations for the efficient use of energy, in order to stimulate exchanges of experience between energy managers (particularly in industry) and energy-saving advisers;

- taking account in information and consultation measures of the fact that there are still differing degrees of awareness of the problems of energy efficiency, and research into the most effective means of remedying this;

- inclusion of energy efficiency aspects in the teaching curricula of schools and universities, as well as in vocational training and driving schools;

- means to ensure that consultants and persons selling and installing energy consuming equipment have adequate professional competence (e.g. membership of associations which apply appropriate professional standards of competence);

- information, in addition to that dealing with heating, on making better use of electricity in all its forms;

- encouraging the commitment of management to the efficient use of energy.

2. Financial incentives (a) Areas of intervention - Recourse to financial incentives inasmuch as the obstacles to investments for more efficient use of energy are financial;

- introduction of such incentives for a specific objective and a limited period of time such that any extension or adaptation can be conditional upon an evaluation of their effectiveness;

- when devising financial incentives, taking account of the restraints on energy efficiency, especially in small and medium-sized undertakings, posed by the restricted availability of capital;

- particular attention to the rented accommodation sector.

(b) Best use of incentives - Evaluation of energy efficiency before and, if possible, after the granting of the financial incentive to the investment;

- to this end, use of all suitable means of information and consultation to ensure that the financial incentive measure has a favourable cost/effectiveness ratio, also taking into account certain non-financial factors likely to play a significant role in investment decisions.

3. Regulations and standards (a) Guiding principles - Use of standards where the forces obtaining on the market and its transparency are not sufficient to guarantee efficient use of energy;

- taking into consideration, when drawing up these measures, their economic consequences and the experience acquired in other States;

- clear definition of the standard to be prescribed or, as the case may be, of the best standard to be attained which it is proposed to introduce after a suitable period of time;

- introduction of adequate control or, failing that, use of recommendations rather than binding regulations;

- periodic revision of the regulations and standards in the light of possible changes in the conditions which obtained when they were drawn up.

(b) Sectoral applications (i) Building sector - Application of appropriate construction codes taking into account general and specific energy circumstances and requirements;

- elaboration, where justified technically and economically, of efficient performance and operation standards for heating systems and boilers;

- development of means to enable the consumer better to regulate his own use of energy (individual meters in residential and tertiary buildings ; selection of more reliable and economical meters);

- development of effective standards for ventilation and air-conditioning, with particular respect to heat recovery;

- indication on domestic electrical appliances of their energy power provided this is justified technically and economically (depending in particular on the potential energy-saving involved).

(ii) Transport sector - Taking into account the particular importance of increased efforts given that this sector is one of the major and growing users of oil products ; to this end, monitoring the adequacy of the regulations and standards relating to specific fuel consumption;

- the interest for the rational use of energy, of further improvements in means of transport and in particular in public transport, in their use and in traffic patterns (for example, where appropriate : to speed limits, design and servicing of road networks, the synchronization of traffic lights, traffic lanes reserved for public transport, limiting of tolls and frontier controls);

(iii) Industry sector

Recommendations stressing the advantage of planning new investments also with a view to the efficient use of energy on an economic basis.