On 30 November, the European Commission presented its long-awaited package of Energy Union legislative proposals.
This ‘jumbo’ package includes (among others!):
- Proposals to revise the electricity market design
- A proposal for a revised energy efficiency Directive (EED)
- A proposal for a revised energy performance of buildings Directive (EPBD)
- A proposal for a revised renewable energy Directive (RES-D), which includes a proposal for the sustainability of bioenergy
- A proposal for a regulation on the Energy Union Governance.
All the documents can be found here
Unfortunately, the package released by the European Commission is not consistent with the Paris Agreement and will not help mobilise the investments needed for the transition to a fully renewable and efficient energy system. You can find the initial reaction of CAN Europe here.
The Political Process
The publication of the European Commission proposals is only the beginning of a process that will likely take up to two years. The European Council and Parliament will now negotiate the texts before they are finally adopted and enter into force.
Timetable and Presidencies of the European Council
These files will be debated under the leadership of its consecutive presidencies: 2017: Malta, Estonia (no UK presidency!), 2018: Bulgaria, Austria.
Already, the Energy Council of 5 December included a lunch debate on the winter package. On the 13th of December, the Energy Working Party (EWP) meeting, also featured the ‘winter package’ on the agenda.
The upcoming Maltese presidency of the Council will probably focus on the energy efficiency files (EED, EPBD, eco-design), aiming at achieving an agreement on a ‘general orientation’ by the 26 June Energy Council. The EWP will meet four times in January and only the efficiency files of the winter package are on its agenda.
Timetable in the European Parliament
On the 13th of December, the plenary of the European Parliament had a first debate on the package.
The ITRE Committee will most likely be the leading committee for all the files in the package (except probably for sustainability criteria for biomass that are ENVI Committee competence). Other committees will give opinions.
The timeline for allocating ‘rapporteurs’ (= the MEPs assigned to draft up the report on each legislative proposal) is not set in stone yet- the names of rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs (for each of the groups) will likely be agreed at the end of January. Once a rapporteur is appointed, he/she will define the timeline for each dossier (exchange of views, presentation of Draft Report, deadline for tabling amendments to the Draft Report, vote in Committee).
