Commenting on today's (Wednesday, 10 November) presentation of the EU energy strategy for 2020 by EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, Fiona Hall, Leader of the UK Liberal Democrat MEPs, said:

"The Commission's shining new energy strategy does not distract from the fact that it is disappointingly short on detail.

 "While I fully welcome the Commission's emphasis on energy efficiency, the now published strategy lacks new ideas and commitments to further the drive towards substantial reductions in energy consumption."

 Yesterday (Tuesday, 9 November), the European Parliament´s Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee called for binding energy efficiency targets of at least 20% by 2020 and the revised Energy Efficiency Action Plan to be presented before the Energy Summit in February 2011.

 Ms Hall, who steered the EU´s last Energy Efficiency Action Plan through the European Parliament, added:

"The Commission must now urgently come forward with the long overdue revised Energy Efficiency Action plan which needs to take into account an evaluation of existing legislation.

"In order to achieve an over 20% reduction in energy consumption in the EU by 2020, binding national targets and new financial models for energy efficiency measures must be introduced."

 ENDS