In a public deliberation, the Council took note of a progress report summarising the work done so far on the energy efficiency package, which contains the following three proposals: an energy labelling directive, a tyres labelling directive and an energy performance of buildings directive.

This report also lists the implementing measures submitted by the Commission, under the regulatory procedure with scrutiny, to the Council and the European Parliament during this Presidency, in the context of the framework directives on eco-design requirements and energy labelling.

The purpose of the three proposals on energy efficiency is to contribute to the achievement of the objective of a 20% reduction in the EU's energy consumption by 2020, as called for by the 2007

The work on these files will continue under the Swedish Presidency, energy efficiency being one of its priorities.

Energy labelling directive

This proposal recasts directive 92/75/EEC on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by household appliances and repeals directive 79/530/EEC. Its objective is to extend its scope, currently restricted to household appliances, to allow (after the adoption of implementing measures per product group) for the labelling of all energy-related products: this could include products used in the household, commercial and industrial sectors and non-energy using products such as windows which have a significant potential to save energy once in use or installed.

Energy performance of buildings

The proposal clarifies, strengthens and extends the scope of the current directive 2002/91/EC in particular by:

• Extending the scope of the provision requiring member states to set up minimum energy performance requirements for new buildings and for major renovations.
• Reinforcing the provisions on energy performance certificates, inspections of heating and air-conditioning systems, , information, and independent experts, and adding an obligation to calculate cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements.
• Stimulating member states to develop frameworks and targets in order to increase the percentage of low or zero energy and carbon buildings.
• Encouraging the public sector to become more actively involved and to take a lead.

The Commission presented these three proposals in November 2008. The European Parliament adopted its first reading opinion on the tyres labelling proposal as well as on the energy performance of buildings proposal in April and on the energy labelling proposal in May 2009.