Energy Conservation
EPE contains a series of recommendations to improve energy efficiency
and renewable energy use in the region. For instance, it calls for action
to ensure that all European countries reach a high level of energy efficiency
by the year 2010.
A group of governmentally designated experts with both environmental
and energy expertise under the leadership of Denmark, was established
jointly by the ECE Committees on Environmental Policy and on Sustainable
Energy to prepare guidelines and supporting documentation on energy conservation
in Europe.
Work on the energy conservation initiative, in which the Energy Charter Secretariat
, the International Energy Agency
and other international organizations actively participated, led to the
preparation of recommendations to Governments. The Aarhus Conference endorsed
the Policy Statement on Energy Efficiency (English,
Russian, Français) and welcomed the
Guidelines on Energy Conservation in Europe (English,
Russian, Français) submitted
by the ECE Committee on Environmental Policy.
The Committee on Environmental Policy, at its sixth session in September
1999, decided on the reporting procedure on the implementation of energy-related
decisions of the Aarhus Conference. At its session in 2001 the Committee
considered a progress report (English,
Russian, Français)
The ECE Committee on Environmental Policy, at its session in September
2000, welcomed the report and recommendations of the ECE/OECD Workshop
on Enhancing the Environment by Reforming Energy Prices, held in Pruhonice
near Prague from 14 to 16 June 2000, and invited the ECE Committee on
Sustainable Energy to consider establishing, together with the Committee
on Environmental Policy, a cooperative mechanism such as a joint task
force on environment and energy, to develop non-legally binding guidelines
for decision-makers on reforming energy prices to promote sustainable
development, on the basis of the Workshop's results and on existing work
carried out by other fora and in cooperation with OECD, IEA, the Energy
Charter Secretariat, the European Commission and relevant NGOs.
At their annual sessions in 2001, both Committees considered a discussion
paper defining the objectives and activities related to this initiative
(English, Russian,
Français). They decided
to establish a Task Force on Environment and Energy for the period 2002-2005
with a mandate to develop non-legally binding guidelines for decision-makers
on reforming energy prices to support sustainable energy development.
The guidelines should help, inter alia, in preventing and reducing waste
of energy and energy-related environmental impact.
As a first step, the joint Task Force will focus on parts I and II of
the guidelines, namely, on (a) raising energy prices to economic levels
in countries in transition, and (b) reforming energy (consumption) subsidies
throughout Europe.
The task force, at its meeting on 19 November 2002, will use elements
on parts I and II to prepare draft guidelines. The results will be
reported to the Committee on Sustainable Energy at its twelfth session
on 20 November 2002. Guidelines, to be finalized in the light of these
discussions, will be submitted to the Bureaux of both Committees and,
thereafter, to the Committee on Environmental Policy in February 2003
for consideration and possible transmission, through the Working Group
of Senior Officials, to the Ministerial Conference "Environment for
Europe" in Kiev, for endorsement.
For further information: mikhail.kokine@unece.org