Millions of European citizens unable to adequately heat their homes

Subject: Millions of European citizens unable to adequately heat their homes

According to the latest findings from Eurostat, approximately one in ten EU citizens are unable to adequately heat their homes. These figures are particularly concerning in the case of Bulgaria, Lithuania, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal, where socio-economic factors and structural weaknesses in housing have exacerbated matters. There is, therefore, a strong link to be made between solving this issue and both decarbonising buildings and improving their energy efficiency.

To combat poverty, including energy poverty, among other issues, the new Commission has committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights. In the European Green Deal, it has set ambitious decarbonisation objectives as part of its goal to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050, but they are not achievable if housing in the EU is not decarbonised.

With the aim of meeting the social, environmental and energy objectives set out in these documents, what measures will the Commission take to support European families that are unable to heat their homes, especially in countries where more than 20% of the population is affected, and thus ensure that these families are able to benefit from a sustainable and socially just energy transition?

Answer given by Ms Simson on behalf of the European Commission

(15 May 2020)

Energy poverty is tackled through the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package (1). Member States are required to ensure that there are particularly well-established safeguards to protect vulnerable consumers, and may choose to refer to energy poverty when defining the concept of vulnerable consumers (2).

When assessing the number of households in energy poverty, MSs shall establish and publish a set of criteri a (3). If a Member State deems the number of energy poor households significant, it should include in its National Energy and Climate Plan an objective to reduce energy poverty (4). These requirements complement national competences in social policy and are based on the principle of subsidiarity.

In line with the Electricity Directive, the Commission is going to provide guidance to assist Member States in defining the significant number of households in energy poverty (5). Exchanges with Member States on relevant indicators and good practices are encouraged through various initiatives, including the European Energy Poverty Observatory and the Covenant of Mayors.

The European Green Deal Communication reinforces the EU’s commitment to alleviate energy poverty. The Commission is set to lead a ‘renovation wave’ of public and private buildings, ensuring accessibility to key energy services and a basic standard of living for all European citizens. In addition, the Commission’s proposal for the Just Transition Mechanism will protect those most vulnerable to the transition by investing in the most affected territories.

As regards regional funding, energy efficiency renovation projects for existing housing stock and public infrastructure has been allocated a total of EUR 13.88 billion under the European Regional Development Fund and cohesion funds in the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020. Negotiations on the next MFF must ensure support continues to target energy poverty.

As an example, the LIFE programme has been set up to continue the important work of the Horizon 2020 projects for the alleviation of energy poverty. All these actions should go hand-in-hand with national co-financing.

⋅1∙ Including the Electricity Directive, Energy Efficiency Directives, Energy Performance of the Buildings Directive and the regulation on the Governance of the Energy

Union

⋅2∙ Article 28 of Directive 2019/944/EU on common rules for the internal market for electricity (recast)

⋅3∙ Article 29 of Directive 2019/944/EU

⋅4∙ Recital 26 of Regulation 2018/1999/EU on the Governance of the European Energy Union and Climate Action

⋅5∙ Article 29 of Directive 2019/944/EU.