Tug of war over ambition threatens EU energy efficiency law

(EurActiv, 9 Mar 2023) A battle of wills over ambition in a new law to improve energy efficiency in Europe risks delaying an agreement on the bill ahead of another round of negotiations on Thursday (9 March).

Negotiators from the European Commission, EU countries and the European Parliament are due to meet at 2pm on Thursday for an open-ended discussion on the law, known as trilogue.

But while some are hoping negotiators will find a compromise, a lack of progress on the headline energy savings target could see the meeting finish without a deal.

“That trilogue is doomed to fail,” one EU diplomat told EURACTIV following a meeting of EU country ambassadors (COREPER) on Wednesday (7 March) and a tug of war between countries over ambition.

The European Commission originally proposed setting the 2030 energy savings target at 9%. However, following the war in Ukraine and energy crisis, it upped this to 13%.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament agreed to push for a 14.5% energy savings target.

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EurActiv, 9 Mar 2023: Tug of war over ambition threatens EU energy efficiency law