The opinion calls for implementing more ambitious targets for energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy at EU level today and suggests they should be raised to 40% by 2030. Furthermore, the document calls for more EU's support for sub-national cooperation and better recognition of the ambitious policies set up at local levels, highlighting almost 6'000 EU towns and cities which have adopted sustainable energy action plans.
"We use similar approaches and methodologies and are often ahead of the national level, which could therefore benefit from our acknowledged experience and expertise" – explains Hranić – "Effective coordination between the national level and local and regional authorities in planning, implementing and reporting on energy and climate policies can help avoid unnecessary administrative burdens and meet the requirements of better regulation".
Hranić's document suggests that the European Commission should not only concentrate on cooperation between Member States but also actively support cooperation between sub-national levels of governance within or between individual Member States.
"We call on the Member States and the European Commission to ensure also appropriate support for cooperation between sub-national authorities" – explains the rapporteur.
Furthermore, the opinion asks the European Commission to include a section on multilevel governance in the documentation it addresses to Member State governments with guidelines on reporting on national energy policy and its planning. It also suggests a business-friendly environment achieved through targeted signals, strategies, standards and regulations and with the right support from financial instruments in which public funds are deployed to facilitate private investment.
It also stresses that that the governance of the Energy Union must create the framework conditions for achieving the goals, such as easier access to public-private partnerships in order to accelerate project implementation, reduce red tape, identify any obstacles to local and regional authorities and provide legal certainty and predictability for investors.
Finally, with Renewable Energy Directive in mind, the opinion suggests that national and regional/local levels should work closely together to pursue a binding target of increasing renewables use in the heating and cooling sector by 1% a year, since this makes a tangible and effective contribution to attaining the overall EU targets.
Heating and cooling offers a significant untapped potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and boosting the use and production of renewable energy" explains the rapporteur.
The document is to be formally adopted by the CoR at its plenary session in July 2017.