Overview
WHAT IS IT
Energy efficiency is a cornerstone of the Energy Community’s efforts to enhance sustainability, reduce emissions, and improve energy security and affordability. The Energy Community aligns with EU directives to ensure effective implementation across its Contracting Parties.
Energy efficiency means achieving the same level of useful output (performance, services or energy delivered) while using less energy input. It is a transformative approach that builds smart, sustainable, low-carbon communities by improving energy use across all sectors. By harnessing energy more efficiently, citizens benefit from lower bills, better indoor comfort, cleaner air, and local green job opportunities.
The “energy efficiency first” principle ensures that every policy and investment decision prioritizes efficiency, making every euro spent more impactful while reducing energy consumption and environmental impact. By embedding energy efficiency throughout the entire energy chain - from generation to end use - and incorporating it into national and local policy planning, we transform high‑level ambitions into smart and sustainable improvements.
WHY IT MATTERS
Energy efficiency plays a pivotal role in energy transition and meeting the Energy Community’s energy and climate targets. By cutting overall energy needs, it directly contributes to more affordable and faster decarbonisation. Beyond these benefits, investing in smarter energy use strengthens energy security by reducing dependency on imported energy sources, and it improves affordability by lowering utility bills for households. Energy efficiency is also a driver of innovation, economic growth, and job creation.
The Energy Community’s energy efficiency acquis focuses on creation of framework conditions for energy efficiency (Energy Efficiency Directive), energy efficiency improvements in buildings (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive), and stimulating market and information for energy efficient products (package of energy labelling regulations and delegated acts).
Energy efficiency as cross-sectoral issue asks for extensive cooperation and coordination. The Energy Efficiency Coordination Group (EECG), established in 2013 by the Ministerial Council, serves as a platform for cooperation among ministries and agencies responsible for energy efficiency in Contracting Parties, Observer Countries, and Participants, the European Commission and the donors community.
The key task of the Coordination Group is to facilitate the effective transposition and implementation of energy efficiency directives, coordinate regional initiatives, and engages with donors. EECG also facilitates the exchange of best practices and plays important role as an initiator, coordinator and implementation partner of diverse regional technical assistance and investment programmes.
The Group meets three times per year alongside training workshops, its work is based on the biennially adopted Work Programme.
