The final trilogue on the proposed Energy Efficiency directive leaves it far weaker than most MEPs wanted – and it means the EU will miss its 20-20-20 targets.

A compromise too far on energy efficiency

There are fears that the EU  won't meet its target

The plan voted through the EP  has been watered down

during negotiations  with EU energy ministers –

A lot of flexibility has come into the text  at the insistence of the Member States

and we are very concerned in the EP  that it doesn't add up

to the 20% energy efficiency improvement  that was the whole point of the directive.

The directive aimed to set  national energy efficiency targets,

including renovating old,  inefficient buildings,

energy audits for companies  and national heating and cooling plans.

It would have saved €200 billion  on energy bills and created employment.

The original idea was that it would bring  many jobs to Europe,

which is now suffering  from unemployment.

Two million plus jobs  would be a very good return from it,

but in this form it will only be  a fragment of this original idea.

The directive included the use of smart  meters, giving consumers more information.

But ministers opposed setting  Europe-wide standards.

The smart meter industry met in Brussels  to discuss their concerns

that that part of the directive  was under threat.

If the Council doesn't move from this very  stringent position they've got right now,

there's a very real danger  of an Energy Efficiency Directive

that's so watered down  it's almost meaningless.

The Danish Presidency has limited  the ability of states

to count past and future actions  as real achievements,

but it means governments  can say they've reached their 2020 targets

with a project that won't  come into effect until 2024.

The deal goes to committee in July and will  be voted by the Parliament in September.