24 Amendments of Frances FITZGERALD related to 2021/0203(COD)
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The higher level of ambition requires a stronger promotion of cost- effective energy efficiency measures in all areas of the energy system and in all relevant sectors where activity affects energy demand, such as the transport, water and agriculture sectors. Improving energy efficiency throughout the full energy chain, including energy generation, transmission, distribution and end-use, will benefit the environment, improve air quality and public health, reduce GHG emissions, improve energy security, cut energy costs for households and companies, help alleviate energy poverty, and lead to increased competitiveness, more jobs and increased economic activity throughout the economy, thus improving citizens' quality of life. In particular, it should be highlighted that women have a strategic role to play in the development of sustainable and ecologically sound consumption and production patterns and their empowerment is a reinforcement of the European competitiveness, given the untapped female resource potential to boost the European economy. The directive should help reduce the gender gap in the energy sector, integrate women in the emerging technologies jobs market, promote women entrepreneurship, increase chances to generate those skills and competences that are demanded by the green and digital transition and bring more women and girls into the STEAM careers, and in particular in the area of engineering. That complies with the Union commitments made in the framework of the Energy Union and with the global climate agenda established by the 2015 Paris Agreement, and also contributes to the achievement of all relevant sustainable development goals, with particular attention to SDG 5, SDG 7 and SDG 13.
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11 a) From the design of the energy efficiency decisions to their implementation, it is essential to take into account the commitment to a gender- inclusive, fair and just climate and energy transition in which the empowerment of people is a fundamental element. Against this background, equal participation of women and girls, with their unique skills, knowledge and perspective as powerful actors of change, should always be promoted and encouraged. Also in view to improve the participation of women and girls in the energy sector, that remains one of the most imbalanced in the economy globally, seeking gender balance in terms of employment, decision-making, counselling and advice should be a priority of the Union and the Member States. Any effort that will be put in place to reach the energy savings targets should be gender-balanced-by-design.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17 a) In order to promote gender equality throughout all policies, the Commission and the Member States should make sure to apply gender mainstreaming principles into all policies, measures and spending programmes that are implemented according to this directive. The application of the gender mainstreaming principle requires the integration of gender equality perspective into the preparation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of such policies, measures and programmes. Given the importance of keeping track of the progresses induced by the integration of this principle, Member States are encouraged to monitor its application.
Amendment 49 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 50 a (new)
Recital 50 a (new)
(50 a) Energy efficiency programmes, instruments and measures should integrate women’s experiences, expertise, capacities and preferences, and make the utmost to avoid reinforcing the gender gap between men and women in energy access contexts. It is critical that Member States integrate gender equality concerns and solutions into the national energy sector frameworks. To this end, gender audits can be an effective instrument in identifying gender gaps across the energy landscape and setting a baseline for future gender mainstreaming efforts at the policy and institutional-level. A gender perspective needs to be integrated from the very beginning in the design, implementation, and monitoring of energy efficiency policies, given that women are not only primary end-users and beneficiaries of those policies, but also actors in the delivery of energy solutions.
Amendment 51 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 61
Recital 61
(61) This Directive refers to the concept of vulnerable customers, which Member States are to establish pursuant to Directive (EU) 2019/944. In addition, pursuant to Directive 2012/27/EU, the notion of ‘final users’ alongside the notion of ‘final customer’ clarifies that the rights to billing and consumption information also apply to consumers without individual or direct contracts with the supplier of energy used for collective heating, cooling or domestic hot water production systems in multi- occupant buildings. The concept of vulnerable customers does not necessarily ensure the targeting of final users. Therefore, in order to ensure that the measures set out in this Directive reach all individuals and households in a situation of vulnerability, Member States should include not only customers, in its strict sense, but also final users, in establishing their definition of vulnerable customers. In their definition, Member States should pay particular attention to women, single- parent households, people with disabilities and elderly consumers, as these target groups might be more prone than others to intersectional risks.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 78 a (new)
Recital 78 a (new)
(78 a) There is a general and widespread limitation in the collection of energy data that is given by the scarcity of sex- disaggregated data and gender statistics in relation to the use of energy and to the employment in the renewable energy sector. This represents a major handicap in the effort to enhance awareness of the challenges and to improve gender balance, given that without data, there is no visibility and is thus difficult to monitor the progress towards gender equality and establish policy priorities. The Commission should work with Member States and a wide range of actors, including academic and non- academic entities, advocacy groups, professional associations, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, policy institutes and think- tanks, in order to build a sex- disaggregated evidence base in order to generate gender statistics able to support intersecting situations.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 92
Recital 92
(92) The contribution of renewable energy communities, pursuant to Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council80 , and citizen energy communities, according to Directive (EU) 2019/944 towards the objectives of the European Green Deal and the 2030 Climate Target Plan, should be recognised. Member States should, therefore, consider and promote the role of renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities. Those communities can help Member States to achieve the objectives of this Directive by advancing energy efficiency at local or household level. They can empower and engage consumers and enable certain groups of household customers, including in rural and remote areas to participate in energy efficiency projects and interventions. To this end, it is particularly relevant and appropriate, to involve women in all their diversity and in their roles of consumers, producers, decision-makers and entrepreneurs, given their potential to act as societal agents of change. Energy communities can help fighting energy poverty through facilitation of energy efficiency projects, reduced energy consumption and lower supply tariffs. _________________ 80 Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p. 82).
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 93
Recital 93
(93) The contribution of one-stop shops or similar structures as mechanisms that can enable multiple target groups, including citizens, SMEs and public authorities, to design and implement projects and measures related to the clean energy transition, should be recognised. The contribution of one-stop-shops can be very important for most vulnerable customers, including women in all their diversity and single-parents, as they could represent an easier, reliable and accessible source of information about energy efficiency improvements. That contribution can include the provision of technical, administrative and financial advice and assistance, facilitation of the necessary administrative procedures or of access to financial markets, or guidance with the national and European legal framework, including public procurement rules and criteria, and the EU Taxonomy.
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 100
Recital 100
(100) Member States should ensure that national energy regulatory authorities take an integrated approach encompassing potential savings in the energy supply and the end-use sectors. Without prejudice to security of supply, market integration and anticipatory investments in offshore grids necessary for the deployment of offshore renewable energy, national energy regulatory authorities should ensure that the energy efficiency first principle is applied in the planning and decision making processes and, which should always include considerations of gender mainstreaming and inclusiveness. Member States should also ensure that network tariffs and regulations incentivise improvements in energy efficiency. Member States should also ensure and that transmission and distribution system operators consider the energy efficiency first principle. That would help transmission and distribution system operators to consider better energy efficiency solutions and incremental costs incurred for the procurement of demand side resources, as well as the environmental and socio-economic impacts of different network investments and operation plans. Such an approach requires a shift from the narrow economic efficiency perspective to maximised social welfare. The energy efficiency first principle should in particular be applied in the context of scenario building for energy infrastructure expansion where demand side solutions could be considered as viable alternatives and need to be properly assessed, and it should become an intrinsic part of the assessment of network planning projects. Its application should be scrutinised by national regulatory authorities.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 103
Recital 103
(103) Given the ambitious renovation objectives over the next decade in the context of the Commission’s Communication entitled Renovation Wave it is necessary to increase the role of independent market intermediaries including one stop shops or similar support mechanisms in order to stimulate market development on the demand and supply sides and to promote energy performance contracting for renovation of both private and public buildings. To this end, it is important to recognise that is still hard for citizens to be able to identify without support the best possible options for their circumstances. The directive should help improve the availability of products, services and advices in the European and local markets, also by promoting the potential for women entrepreneurs to fill the gaps in the market and to provide for innovative ways to enhance energy efficiency. Local energy agencies could play a key role in this regard, and identify and support setting up potential facilitators or one-stop-shops.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 106
Recital 106
(106) Member States have taken measures to identify and address the regulatory and non-regulatory barriers. However, there is a need to increase the effort to remove regulatory and non- regulatory barriers to the use of energy performance contracting and third-party financing arrangements which help achieving energy savings. These barriers include accounting rules and practices that prevent capital investments and annual financial savings resulting from energy efficiency improvement measures from being adequately reflected in the accounts for the whole life of the investment. Another barrier that this directive should help overcome is the lack of the necessary skills and competences of people, from the basic ones to the more specialised, in particular regarding engineering, energy efficiency, system integration, flexibility and digitalisation. Member States should adopt measures to increase opportunities of advancing education, training and maintenance skills and capacities, with a special focus on women and girls.
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a (new)
Article 3 a Gender Mainstreaming Principle 1. The Commission, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, shall provide guidance to Member States to implement energy efficiency policies which take into consideration gender perspectives. 2. Member States shall make best efforts to integrate a gender perspective into the preparation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, regulatory measures and spending programmes related to energy efficiency, with a view to promoting equality between women and men, and combating discrimination. 3. Member States should have active policies aimed at integrating women into all levels of the energy value chain, in order to lead to more effective and efficient energy initiatives and unleash greater return on investments. To this end, they should incorporate gender into financing mechanisms to ensure equitable access to resources and incentives. 4. Member States shall ensure that the application of the gender mainstreaming principle is verified by the relevant entities where policy, planning and investment decisions are subject to approval and monitoring requirements. 5. Where relevant, Member States shall identify an entity responsible for monitoring the application of the gender mainstreaming principle. 6. Within the integrated national energy and climate progress reports foreseen by Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, Member States shall indicate whether the principle was taken into account in the implementation of this directive.
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
In designing such policy measures, Member States shall consider and promote the role of renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities in the contribution to the implementation towards these policy measures and shall pay special attention in promoting the active involvement of women in all their diversity and in their different roles of consumers, producers and decision- makers.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
For the purpose of this article, these measures should also target specific stakeholders, such as women in all their diversity, as they can lead change within households, businesses, public administrations and all types of organization, and push for its implementation.
Amendment 89 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 22 – paragraph 3 – point e
Article 22 – paragraph 3 – point e
e) foster technical assistance for social actors to promote vulnerable customer´s active engagement in the energy market, and positive changes in their energy consumption behaviour; special consideration should be made on involving women, given their role as societal agents of change;
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 22 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
Article 22 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Member States shall establish a network of experts from various sectors such as health sector, building sector and social sectors, involving a more meaningful participation of women, to develop strategies to support local and national decision makers in implementing energy efficiency improvement measures alleviating energy poverty, measures to generate robust long term solutions to mitigate energy poverty and to develop appropriate technical assistance and financial tools. Member States shall strive to ensure a network of experts’ composition that ensures gender balance and reflects the perspectives of people in all their diversity., notably to tackle gender impairment, promote age sensitive development of technologies and applications, incentivise a gender- inclusive energy planning and considering the diverse impacts of the energy transition on women in all their diversity, families, single-parents and elderly people;
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 26 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 26 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Member States shall ensure the appropriate level and availability of competences for energy efficiency professions that corresponds to the market needs, also through the use of national and EU funds and programmes to effectively support lifelong learning and training in STEAM areas, in particular in the area of engineering and especially for women and girls, as well as to establish campaigns or awards for businesses who take exemplary measures to improve women’s presence in the green and digital economy and to create additional incentives to increase visibility of women as role models and promote their access to these sectors in universities and employment. Member States in close cooperation with the social partners shall ensure that certification and/or equivalent qualification schemes, including, where necessary, suitable training programmes, especially for women and girls, are available for energy efficiency professions including providers of energy services, providers of energy audits, energy managers, independent experts and installers of building elements pursuant to Directive 2010/31/EU, and are reliable and contribute to national energy efficiency objectives and the overall EU decarbonisation objectives.
Amendment 104 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 27 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) market and business opportunities to improve energy savings, aiming at promoting local entrepreneurship in the energy services sector, with special attention to women entrepreneurs;
Amendment 105 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 27 – paragraph 6 – point c a (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 6 – point c a (new)
(c a) promoting the role of women entrepreneurs in the provision of products, services and advices;
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 28 – paragraph 3
Article 28 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall adopt measures that ensure that energy efficiency lending products, such as green mortgages and green loans, secured and unsecured, are offered widely and in a non- discriminatory manner by financial institutions and, are visible and accessible to consumers, with special consideration to women in all their diversity, given their potential role as agents of change in society. Member States shall adopt measures to facilitate the implementation of on-bill and on-tax financing schemes. Member States shall ensure that t banks and other financial institutions receive information on opportunities to participate in the financing of energy efficiency improvement measures , including through the creation of public/private partnerships.
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 28 – paragraph 9
Article 28 – paragraph 9
9. Member States may set up an Energy Efficiency National Fund. The purpose of this fund shall be to implement energy efficiency measures, including measures pursuant to Article 8(3) and Article 22 as a priority among vulnerable customers, people affected by energy poverty and, where applicable, people living in social housing, and shall pay particular attention to women in all their diversity. The fund shall also be used to implement national energy efficiency measures to support Member States in meeting their national energy efficiency contributions and their indicative trajectories referred to in Article 4(2). The Energy Efficiency National Fund may be financed with revenues from the allowance auctions pursuant to the EU Emission Trading System on buildings and transport sectors.
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a directive
Annex VI – paragraph 1 – point a
Annex VI – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) be based on up-to-date, measured, traceable and, where possible, sex- disaggregated operational data on energy consumption and (for electricity) load profiles;
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a directive
Annex VII – point 1 – point 1.2 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Annex VII – point 1 – point 1.2 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Member States shall continuously improve quantitative and qualitative information, also through digital means, and shall communicate billing information in a clear, concise, meaningful and accessible manner. With this purpose, it is important that Commission and Member States improve the way of collecting data, notably through more granularity and disaggregation in a way to understand better the energy system dynamics, help remove barriers, also in terms of gender, and put in practice more targeted policies, measures and solutions.
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a directive
Annex VIII – point 1 – paragraph 1
Annex VIII – point 1 – paragraph 1
In order to enable final users to regulate their own energy consumption, billing shall take place on the basis of actual consumption or heat cost allocator readings at least once per year. Member States shall continuously improve quantitative and qualitative information, also through digital means, and shall communicate billing information in a clear, concise, meaningful and accessible manner. With this purpose, it is important that Commission and Member States improve the way of collecting data, notably through more granularity and disaggregation in a way to understand better the energy system dynamics, help remove barriers, also in terms of gender, and put in practice more targeted policies, measures and solutions.