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On 15 December 2021, the European Commission adopted a major revision (recast) of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), as part of the 'fit for 55' package. This package is a core part of the European Green Deal, which aims to set the EU firmly on the path towards net zero GHG emissions (climate neutrality) by 2050. The recast EPBD aims to accelerate building renovation rates, reduce GHG emissions and energy consumption, and promote the uptake of renewable energy in buildings. It ...

On 14 March 2023, the European Commission proposed a reform of the EU electricity market, with the aim of reducing price volatility for consumers and creating favourable conditions for investors in low-carbon energy. The reform includes two legislative proposals – one on electricity market design (EMD) and the other on protection against wholesale energy market manipulation (REMIT). The reform would improve consumer protection by offering more fixed-priced contracts and enhancing supplier obligations ...

During the July plenary session, Members will vote on a provisional agreement reached between Parliament and the Council on the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). The ITRE committee has already endorsed the agreement.

This document compares the draft 2023 Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) proposed by the Commission on 24 May 2023 with the 2023 CSRs approved by the Council on 16 June 2023. The Council will finally adopt the recommendations in July.

Batteries are critical to the EU's clean energy transition. In December 2020, the European Commission tabled a proposal to modernise the regulatory framework for batteries and secure the sustainability and competitiveness of EU battery value chains. Two years later, the European Parliament and the Council reached a trilogue agreement on the proposal. The agreed text is due to be put to the vote in plenary in June.

On 14 July 2021 the European Commission adopted the 'fit for 55' package, which adapts existing climate and energy legislation to meet the new EU objective of a minimum 55 % reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. The 'fit for 55' package is part of the European Green Deal, which aims to put the EU firmly on the path towards climate neutrality by 2050. A key element in the 'fit for 55' package is the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), to help the EU deliver the new ...

On 15 December 2021, the Commission adopted a legislative proposal to recast the 2009 EU Gas Directive as part of the proposed hydrogen and decarbonised gas markets package. This reflects the EU's growing climate ambitions, as set out in the European Green Deal and its 'fit for 55' package. The proposal aims to support the decarbonisation of the energy sector by ramping up the production of renewable gases and hydrogen, and facilitating their integration in EU energy networks. The recast directive ...

That the EU imports almost 60 % of its energy shows that real EU strategic autonomy in energy is far from achieved. The current energy crisis poses a risk to all four EU energy policy objectives. Crisis in the energy market is causing public and private debt and inflation, which risks destabilizing the European energy market. While diversifying gas imports away from Russia reduces dependency on one big supplier, reliance on several other third countries implies new supply risks. Although high fossil ...

Renewable hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in the energy system as a versatile energy carrier and feedstock that can help decarbonise a variety of applications in areas such as heavy industry, chemicals manufacturing, transportation, and electricity generation and storage. Hydrogen can be produced through the electrolysis of water with renewable electricity, using different setups that vary in terms of cost, impact on the electricity system and carbon emissions. Today, renewable ...

The ongoing energy crisis and its related challenges of energy security concerns and high energy prices have put the spotlight on the EU's domestic production and use of energy in general and renewables in particular. The 2018 Renewable Energy Directive (RED) requires the EU to achieve a 32 % share of renewable energy sources (RES) in gross final energy consumption by 2030. The Commission has since proposed a revision of the renewables target to 40 % as part of the 'fit for 55' package, in the context ...