The EU currently imports 82% of its oil and 57% of its gas, making it the world's leading importer of these fuels.
France has made a common energy and environment policy by the end of the year the top priority of its six-month 2008 presidency of the European Union .
It is claimed that they will lead to a 'post-industrial revolution', or a low-carbon economy, in the European Union, as well as increased competition in the energy markets, improved security of supply, and improved employment prospects. Although the proposals have been adopted by the European Commission, they require the approval of the European Parliament but were debated and approved at a meeting of the European Council on 8 March and 9, 2007.
Key proposals include:
Underlying many of the proposals are to designed to limit global temperature changes to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, below the temperature judged to cause 'dangerous global warming'.
The proposals were debated and approved, including the 20% cut in carbon emissions originally proposed, at a meeting of the European Council on March 8 and 9, 2007.
The Set plan initiatives: European Wind Initiative: focus on large turbines and large systems validation and demonstration (relevant to on and off-shore applications). Solar Europe Initiative: focus on large-scale demonstration for photovoltaics and concentrated solar power Bio-energy Europe Initiative: focus on 'next generation' biofuels within the context of an overall bio-energy use strategy. European CO2 capture, transport and storage initiative: focus on the whole system requirements, including efficiency, safety and public acceptance, to prove the viability of zero emission fossil fuel power plants at industrial scale. European electricity grid initiative: focus on the development of the smart electricity system, including storage, and on the creation of a European Centre to implement a research programme for the European transmission network. Sustainable nuclear fission initiative: focus on the development of Generation-IV technologies
Under the requirements of the Directive on Electricity Production from Renewable Energy Sources, which entered into force in October 2001, the member states are expected to meet "indicative" targets for renewable energy production. Although there is significant variation in national targets, the average is that 22% of electricity should be generated by renewables by 2010 (compared to 13,9% in 1997). The European Commission has proposed in its Renewable Energy Roadmap21 a binding target of increasing the level of renewable energy in the EU's overall mix from less than 7% today to 20% by 2020.
The 2004 Gas Security Directive has been intended to improve security of supply in the natural gas sector.
At the Heiligendamm Summit in June 2007, the G8 acknowledged an EU proposal for an international initiative on energy efficiency tabled in March 2007, and agreed to explore, together with the International Energy Agency, the most effective means to promote energy efficiency internationally. A year later, on 8 June 2008, the G8 countries, China, India, South Korea and the European Community decided to establish the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation, at the Energy Ministerial meeting hosted by Japan in the frame of the 2008 G8 Presidency, in Aomori.
As part of the EU's SAVE Programme, aimed at promoting energy efficiency and encouraging energy-saving behaviour, the Boiler Efficiency Directive specifies minimum levels of efficiency for boilers fired with liquid or gaseous fuels.
EU policies include the voluntary ACEA agreement, signed in 1998, to cut carbon dioxide emissions for new cars sold in Europe to an average of 140 grams of CO2/km by 2008, a 25% cut from the 1995 level. Because the target was unlikely to be met, the European Commission published new proposals in February 2007, requiring a mandatory limit of 130 grams of CO2/km for new cars by 2012, with 'complementary measures' being proposed to achieve the target of 120 grams of CO2/km that had originally been expected
In the area of fuels, the 2001 Biofuels Directive requires that 5,75% of all transport fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) should be replaced by biofuels by December 31, 2010, with an intermediate target of 2 % by the end of 2005. In February 2007 the European Commission proposed that, from 2011, suppliers will have to reduce carbon emissions per unit of energy by 1% a year from 2010 levels, to result in a cut of 10% by 2020
Beyond the bounds of the European Union, EU energy policy has included negotiating and developing wider international agreements, such as the Energy Charter Treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, the post-Kyoto regime and a framework agreement on energy efficiency; extension of the EC energy regulatory framework or principles to neighbours (Energy Community, Baku Initiative, Euromed energy cooperation) and the emission trading scheme to global partners; the promotion of research and the use of renewable energy.
The EU-Russia energy cooperation will be based on a new comprehensive framework agreement within the post-Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which will be negotiated in 2007. The energy cooperation with other third energy producer and transit countries is facilitated with different tools, such as the PCAs, the existing and foreseen Memorandums of Understanding on Energy Cooperation (with Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Algeria), the Association Agreements with Mediterranean countries, the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans; Euromed energy cooperation; the Baku initiative; and the EU-Norway energy dialogue. For the cooperation with African countries, a comprehensive Africa-Europe Energy partnership would be launched at the highest level, with the integration of Europe's Energy and Development Policies.
For ensuring efficient follow-up and coherence in pursuing the initiatives and processes, for sharing information in case of an external energy crisis, and for assisting the EU’s early response and reactions in case of energy security threats, the network of energy correspondents in the Member States was established in early 2007.
A similar survey of 29 220 people in March and May 2006 indicated that the balance had changed in favour of national decisions in these areas (42% in favour), with 37% backing EU policy making and 12% preferring local decisions. There was significant national variation with this, with 55% in favour in the Netherlands, but only 15% in Finland.
A comprehensive public opinion survey was performed in May and June 2006. The authors propose following conclusions:
The share of balanced views (neither in favour nor opposed) is high in the majority of member states, with a few exceptions where the public opinion has swung all the way against nuclear energy usage. While balanced views are primarily in the 30 - 40% range, in the four most anti-nuclear states (Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Austria) the share of balanced views is in the 10-20% range.
As for the opinion on the three most important energy sources in 30-years' time, nuclear energy captured some nominations. Out of 75 possible nominations 52 were taken by renewable energy sources (solar highest with 21 nomination, other in order of frequency: wind, hydroelectric and biomass). Nuclear energy captured 14 nominations (of which 5 in the first rank), with fossil fuels (oil and gas) only 9 nominations, in trailing positions.
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