European Commission’s summer package to transform EU energy system

As part of the Energy Union strategy, the Commission presented proposals to deliver a new deal for energy consumers, to launch a redesign of the European electricity market, to update energy efficiency labelling and to revise the EU Emissions Trading System.

According to European Commission (EC), the package represents an important step towards implementing the Energy Union strategy with a forward looking climate change policy, launched in February 2015.

The newly launched proposals give prominence to the ‘energy efficiency first’ principle and put households and business consumers at the heart of the European energy market, EC’s press release reads.

Maroš Šefčovič, EU Commission Vice-President for Energy Union, said: “In the Energy Union strategy, we committed to empowering European consumers, creating a single well-functioning energy market, putting energy efficiency first and becoming the number one in renewables. Today, five months after the adoption of the Energy Union strategy, this Summer Package shows our determination to decarbonise our economy and to give consumers a central role in Europe’s energy transition. It marks not only a new deal for consumers, but a new deal for Europe´s entire energy system.”

The EU Emissions Trading System is Europe’s flagship tool for tackling climate change and to place the EU on track towards a low-carbon economy, according to EC.

The Commission revised the Emissions Trading System, which represents the first legislative step towards implementing the EU’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent domestically by 2030.

“Ambitious climate action creates business opportunities and opens up new markets for innovation and the use of low-carbon technologies. The proposed more targeted approach aims at safeguarding the international competitiveness of industry sectors that are at the greatest risk of seeing their production relocated outside the EU to less Green House Gas constrained jurisdictions as well as in pushing energy investment toward innovative and cleaner alternatives,” it is stated in EC’s press release.

EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete added the package presents a decisive step towards reaching EU’s target of decreasing emissions by 40 percent by 2030, and invited the investors, businesses and industry to invest in clean energy.

Image: twitter/Maroš Šefčovič