European Union News - Energy

The European Commission organizes from 24 to 27 May 2011 in Brussels the 11th edition of Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environment policy. This year is focusing in "Resource Efficiency - Using less, living better".

EU ETS emissions increased in 2010 but remain well below pre-crisis level according to the Commission. To the Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard, the emissions increase in 2010 reflects the economic recovery, but even after the economy coming back to normal, the EU ETS emissions remain well below the cap for the 2008-2012 trading period.

The "stress tests" are a set of additional safety criteria drawn up in the light of the nuclear accident in Fukushima. In addition to safety standards already being in place at national level, the EU will start nuclear stress tests. Their aim is to assess whether the safety margins used in the licensing of nuclear power plants were sufficient to cover unexpected events.

The outcome of the survey done in February by the European Parliament shows that EU citizens want measures to cut energy bills, integrate energy networks EU-wide, and make the 20% energy savings by 2020 target binding. However they are less eager to invest in house insulation or eco-friendly cars when these measures are not subsidized.

The Smart Cities Initiative is a project of European dimension for energy efficiency and for accelerating the large scale deployment of innovative low carbon technologies. On 4 February 2011, the European Council invited the Commission to launch an Industrial Initiative inter alia on 'energy saving solutions in cities'.

"Solar Decathlon Europe”, the project from Autonomous University of Madrid, is the winner in the  category of communication of the annual Sustainable Energy Europe Awards 2011, organized in the framework of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), held from 11 to 15 April.

The European Commission has presented its proposal to overhaul -today outdated- rules on the taxation of energy products in the European Union. The revised Energy Taxation Directive will allow Member States to make the best possible use of taxation and support "sustainable growth".    Besides, it will favour renewable energy sources and encourage the consumption of energy sources emitting less CO2.