EU Commission gathers energy for yet more draconian measures

Courtesy of The Albion Alliance Presents news is given of a proposal for a new directive from the EU Commission on binding energy efficiency measures. Points to note are:

"The proposal requires Member States to establish national energy efficiency obligation schemes. It requires regular mandatory energy audits for large companies and lays down a series of requirements on energy companies regarding metering and billing. [etc etc]"

Digressing slightly (again), in respect of all the "Having regard to...." preamble crap that precedes any EU directive, on the basis that this entire EU project was sold to us as purely a trading organisation, how about the insertion of: "Having regard to the right of nation states to self-governance and the retention of their sovereignty...."

Back to this proposed directive, which states that requirements laid down in this Directive are minimum requirements and shall not prevent any Member State from maintaining or introducing more stringent measures, one can only hope that no-one tells that idiot Huhne about this little 'derogation'!

What this proposed directive shows is that yet more rules, together with the additional resultant costs have been imposed on our nation's finances; for example:

"Without prejudice to Article 7 of Directive 2010/31/EU, Member States shall ensure that as from 1 January 2014, 3% of the total floor area owned by their public bodies is renovated each year to meet at least the minimum energy performance requirements set by the Member State concerned in application of Article 4 of Directive 2010/31/EU. The 3% rate shall be calculated on the total floor area of buildings with a total useful floor area over 250 m2 owned by the public bodies of the Member State concerned that, on 1 January of each year, does not meet the national minimum energy performance requirements set in application of Article 4 of Directive 2010/31/EU."

Besides the additional costs as a result of this directive that will be passed on, no doubt hidden in our fuel bills, is another 'nice little earner':

"Member States shall promote the availability to all final customers of energy audits which are affordable and carried out in an independent manner by qualified or accredited experts. Member States shall develop programmes to encourage households and small and medium-sized enterprises to undergo energy audits."

and one has to ask how long it will be before this voluntary exercise becomes mandatory.

And if you thought smart meters were to be voluntary, think again:

"Member States shall ensure that final customers for electricity, natural gas, district heating or cooling and district-supplied domestic hot water are provided with individual meters that accurately measure and allow to make available their actual energy consumption and provide information on actual time of use, in accordance with Annex VI. When Member States put in place the roll-out of smart meters foreseen by Directives 2009/72/EC and 2009/73/EC concerning electricity and gas markets, they shall
ensure that the objectives of energy efficiency and final customer benefits are fully taken into account when establishing the minimum functionalities of the meters and obligations imposed on market participants."

Whilst I appreciate that reading an EU directive is probably a total waste of one's time, I can but urge readers to attempt the exercise because it will bring home to them the fact that we do no longer govern ourselves, as this proposed directive is no different to any other - and will also underline the fact that our elected politicians no more govern us than does the man in the moon!