TASKS

PERFORMANCE

EXTENSION

CONCLUSIONS
 

Tasks

The 13th Energy Efficiency Task Force meeting, held on 30 Nov 2011 in Vienna, was the final meeting under the Task Force's 2011 mandate.  On this occassion, the Secretariat made a review of the Task Force Work Programme 2011, which had following tasks:

1. Monitoring of Implementation of the 1st National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAPs);

2. Adjustment of the Roadmaps for the transposition of recast Energy Efficiency Directives (Directive 2010/30/EU and Directive 2010/31/EU) ;
3. Report on progress in transposition of Directive 2006/32/EC, Directive 2010/31/EU, Directive 2010/30/EU and the associated implementing Directives;
4. Promotion of availability of information and capacity building for energy efficiency.
 

Performance

Task 1: Monitoring of Implementation of the 1st NEEAPs

This task included activities related to the finalization, as well as monitoring of the implementation of the 1st NEEAPs. By the date of 13th Task Force meeting, Secretariat received the final NEEAPs from Albania, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and UNMIK. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Ukraine, the NEEAPs are under preparation, with the donors’ technical assistance. The Secretariat made a comprehensive assessment of all NEEAPs that were available by January 2011 and published in on its website.

The GIZ Open Regional Fund – Energy Efficiency has provided capacity building support for the establishment of the system for monitoring, verification and evaluation of energy savings in parallel with the process of implementation of NEEAPs. At the meetings in March and June 2011, the Contracting Parties presented progress on their projects and programmes that are being implemented and thus contributing to achieving the energy savings target.

In order to support the funding of NEEAPs measures, EC/DG Enlargement launched in April 2011 a study to identify sustainable financing options to implement NEEAPs. At present this framework is either missing or needs to be amended in each country to support different financial and fiscal mechanisms. DG Enlargement recognizes the Energy Community Secretariat and Energy Efficiency Task Force as driving institution for the IPA regional planning in the field of energy efficiency. Close cooperation during 2012 during design and implementation of new Energy Efficiency Window under WBIF is foreseen.

Support activities by donor community (EU, GIZ ORF – Energy Efficiency, USAID, SIDA and others), are highly appreciated and equally promoted. The work of the Task Force has been also recognized as valuable input to donor community for designing their regional assistance programmes.
 

Task 2: Adjustment of the Roadmaps for the transposition of recast Energy Efficiency Directives

In order to facilitate the process of timely transposition and implementation of the energy efficiency directives adopted by the Ministerial Council in December 2009, the Task Force members prepared Road maps in the 2nd quarter of 2010. Nevertheless, with the adoption of the recast directives in September 2010, the Road maps needed to be updated as part of the Work Programme 2011, for which Secretariat prepared the revised template.

Based on this, Task 2 under the 2011 Work programme was completed by seven “old” Contracting Parties; Moldova and Ukraine which joined the Community in May 2010, and respectively in Feb 2011 got extended deadlines - until end of 2011. This gives confidence that the process is progressing and will be regularly monitored and reported to the Secretariat.
 

Task 3: Report on progress in transposition of EE Directives

At its meeting in Nov 2011, the Task Force members presented 2nd progress reports on transposition of the Energy Efficiency acquis.

It is evident that Contracting Parties have made significant progress during 2010 and 2011 in transposition of the energy efficiency directives. Regarding primary legislation on energy efficiency, Croatia is the most advanced, followed by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and UNMIK that adopted the Energy Efficiency Laws (or specific chapters on energy efficiency as part of the Energy Law) and currently are working on the secondary legislation. Albania, Serbia, and Ukraine have advanced draft laws that are expected to transpose the Directives. Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently preparing energy efficiency laws at entity level, with the national IPA technical assistance.
 

In order to respond to the concrete needs of the Contracting Parties and support transposition of the complex Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, the Secretariat contracted a Study on energy efficiency in buildings in May 2011 (to be finalised in Feb 2012). During 2011 Task Force has extensively cooperated with the consultant, ENSI AS, Norway, by providing relevant country information and by commenting preliminary Study results. 
 

Task 4: Promotion of availability of information and capacity building for energy efficiency

Under this task, the Secretariat organised  a training workshop on Implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directives in Mar 2011. The Task Force members and other stakeholders discussed lessons learned from the EU Member States and shared best practices with the EU projects - Concerted Action on Energy Service Directive and on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Dedicated section on EnC website related to energy efficiency has been updated and follows developments on national and regional level, including dedicated web page on NEEAPs, dedicated web page on Road Maps, as well as on relevant studies, including most recent Review of Financial Support Facilities Available for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in the Western Balkans, prepared by the IFI Coordination Office.

Thematic presentations on specific aspects of Energy Efficiency acquis were made in each Task Force meeting, and information was shared by relevant bodies and agencies of the European Commission and EU Member States.
Task Force members prepared in Nov 2011 country review of the implementation of energy efficiency communication and awareness raising campaigns, including summary report by the Task Leader.
 

Extension of the EE Acquis in 2011

Following the developments at the EU level, the Ministerial Council decided in Oct 2011 to update energy efficiency acquis and adopted the set of Delegated Acts on the energy labelling of household dishwashers, refrigerating appliances, washing machines, televisions and air conditioners.

Conclusions

Significant progress was achieved by most of the Contracting Parties in 2011, and recent progress made by Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the other hand, Ukraine has still to catch up with the tasks. One of the most important and still missing activities is urgent finalisation of NEEAPs (BIH, Moldova, Ukraine), as well as finalisation of the roadmap for implementation of EE directives (Moldova and Ukraine), preferably by the end of 2011. Based on Croatian experience with reporting on 1st NEEAPs, it is also important that all Contracting Parties timely work on establishment of a proper system for data collection, monitoring of activities, as well as monitoring and verification of energy savings.

Strict deadlines for transposition of EE Directives, given in the Ministerial Council Decision, should be followed by all Contracting Parties, especially for EE Directives that have transposition deadline by 31 December 2011.

In order to sustain the progress in the Energy Community and to successfully follow the very dynamic trend in the European Union in the area of energy efficiency, regional cooperation is of great importance. The work of the Energy Efficiency Task Force follows this concept and represents an added value and a strong basis for the fulfilment of very demanding tasks in the area of energy efficiency in the Energy Community. 
 

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