Energy efficiency obligation schemes in the energy efficiency directive – An environmental assessment

Abstract

This paper will focus on the 2012/27/EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). Because the EED is a rather new legal act, its assessment from an environmental law perspective has been neglected in the scientific literature. The previous regulation (Directive 2006/32/EC on end-use energy efficiency) has already been analyzed from an ecological point of view (Bányai, 2013). Therefore, the next question automatically arises: does the new directive take steps to improve the European Union (EU) regulations concerning energy efficiency? The EED undoubtedly took a step forward by providing legally binding frameworks for the reduction of energy consumption (instead of the previous political and non-binding energy efficiency goals) and has done this in an absolute way, which is the most important requirement from an ecological point of view. However, despite a few provisions of the Directive having already met the ecological requirements, in reality, the regulation misses theoretical ground.