The European Commission has launched a revision of the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action to support the EU’s 2040 climate target and strengthen competitiveness, energy security, and resilience.
Energy Efficiency for Europe welcomes this initiative, highlighting the need to build on the existing Governance framework, whilst ensuring effective implementation and stronger support for investments in the energy transition. In their response, the federation calls for:
• Preserving the existing Governance architecture to ensure stability and predictability. Energy Efficiency for Europe recognises that the current framework, centred on National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), has proven flexible and effective in supporting progress towards the 2030 targets. As such, maintaining a stable and transparent policy framework is essential to provide long-term visibility, support investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy, and to avoid creating additional regulatory burden or confusion, particularly as the Fit for 55 package is still being transposed.
• Strengthening Member States’ accountability and implementation so as to deliver the EU’s climate objectives. As the 2024 NECP update revealed weaknesses in enforcement and adherence to timelines, the Commission’s revision should reinforce monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, ensure timely and full implementation by Member States, and guarantee transparent consultation processes with strengthened stakeholder participation. National objectives should remain flexible and non-binding.
• Improving Governance to better support investment and simplification, notably by strengthening cooperation between Member States and the private sector. NECPs should become more investment-oriented, with improved harmonisation between EU and national frameworks to enhance comparability and increased digitalisation to streamline processes. The introduction of optional sectoral Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) could further improve visibility and support investment decisions, without adding an unnecessary administrative burden.
Energy Efficiency for Europe therefore calls on the Commission to preserve a stable and effective Governance framework, whilst reinforcing implementation, improving transparency, and ensuring that NECPs fully support investment in the energy transition.