European countries could be forced to cut their energy usage through new legally-binding targets, under plans from Brussels designed to bolster energy security.
Günther Oettinger, energy commissioner, said that Europe needed to use less energy in order to reduce its dependence on risky imports from countries such as Russia. He said it would be "appropriate" for the European Commission to propose a new binding target for countries to increase their energy efficiency by 2030.
“We feel energy efficiency and energy savings can be an initial response to energy dependence on imports and that needs to be our focus in coming years," he said.
Mr Oettinger said that EC would be making a proposal in September for its energy efficiency strategy to 2030. "I feel that it would be appropriate to propose a binding energy efficiency target," he said.
Source: Telegraph 28 May 2014
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/10860440/Brussels-plans-legally-binding-targets-for-cutting-Europes-energy-usage.html