The energy efficiency issue in the European Union: perspectives, objectives and challenges

This paper discusses the energy issue in the European Union and the EU’s progress on energy efficiency since the Energy Efficiency related Directive of 2012 (EED): (i) The energy consumption dynamic (primary and final energy consumption), (ii) Directives and other regulations adopted by the EU’s institutions between 2012-2022, for energy consumption and efficiency targets established for both the Union, on aggregate, and for its individual member states, (iii) The National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) face to corresponding 2020 accomplishments and to 2030 projections, (iv) The same 2030 forecasts in the long-term context of climate neutrality to be ensured up to 2050. All these will be approached below in our argumentation. Effective energy consumption data are retrieved from Eurostat and International Energy Agency (IEA). Optimism comes up for the 2030 perspective, since the 2020 specific performances was done, partly despite the recent COVID-19 pandemic related circumstances of 2020. A list of possible responses to some questions will conclude this paper: ‘How receptive will the member states be in the future for transposing the EU's energy efficiency ambitions into their own strategies?’ and ‘Will the European policies be rigorous enough, but also flexible to achieve long-term objectives?’.