EC's draft energy efficiency law unlikely to pass by end-2004

EC's draft energy efficiency law unlikely to pass by end-2004

London (Platts)--31Aug2004


The European Commission's draft law on energy end-use efficiency and energy
services is unlikely to be approved by end-2004, the European Parliament
energy committee heard Monday. 

Dutch economic affairs minister Laurens-Jan
Brinkhorst said that Dutch presidency of the European Union council of
ministers had prioritized the EC's draft law on security of electricity supply
and energy infrastructure over the energy efficiency draft. He said the
Netherlands took energy efficiency very seriously, but couldn't squeeze it
into the six-month presidency tenure that finishes end- December. Both he and
the EC said that it might still be possible if the EP moved quickly. But the
rapporteur responsible for guiding it through the EP, Mechtild Rothe, said she
did not see why the EP should rush its debate when the council was not aiming
for a common position at its next meeting. The draft law would oblige member
states to adopt measures to save 1% of their national energy use each year.

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