The agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission on the first sub-package comprising the Renewable Energy Directive, the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Governance Regulation and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive entered into force on 24 December 2018. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive had already entered into force on 9 July 2018. The second sub-package comprising the Internal Electricity Market Directive and the Electricity Market Regulation, the ACER Regulation and the Risk-preparedness Regulation entered into force on 5 June 2019. Whereas the Regulations are directly applicable law, the Member States need to translate the Directives of the package into national law in the course of the next few years.
Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2020
On 1 July 2020, Germany took over the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). Germany is thus holding a key position in terms of the European energy policy and can help to move important policy dossiers forwards.
The German Federal Government is committed to the shared goal of making the EU the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. We aim to combine an ambitious energy and climate policy with a fresh stimulus for growth and innovation. The shift towards a climate-friendly, secure and affordable energy supply opens up economic potential which can make an important contribution towards leading the European economy out of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and developing new, forward-looking areas of growth.
During Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, important conferences and events took place also on energy issues. These included the video conference of energy ministers on 14 December 2020 and an informal video conference of energy ministers on 5-6 October. In addition, a high-level conference on hydrogen was held on 5 October 2020, and a conference on the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan Conference) took place on 23-24 November 2020.
For further information about the economic and energy policy priorities of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy for Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, please click here. Additional information, including the Federal Government’s Presidency Programme and an overview of all events during the Presidency, can be found on the website of the Federal Government on Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU.