Legislative Decree on Implementation of EU Energy Services Directive

Last updated: 5 November 2017
Italy's Legislative Decree n. 115 of 30 May 2008 set to implement into domestic legislation the EU Energy Services Directive or ESD (2006/32/EC), creating a legal framework for greater efforts to improve energy efficiency and addressing a spectrum of activities in the energy sector. The Decree has been promulgated by the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of European Policies. Article 4 of the Decree assigns to ENEA the overall control and responsibility for overseeing the framework set up in relation to the energy saving targets mentioned in the ESD.
Major provisions of the legislative decree include:
A provision that assigns the Italian energy agency ENEA overall control and responsibility for overseeing the framework set up in relation to the energy saving targets mentioned in the ESD;
Defintion of the ESCO, as a service company that offers guaranteed energy performance contracts;
Inclusion of measures to harmonise functions between State and Regional authorities in relation to energy efficiency;
Developments on the White Certificate Scheme;
A set of administrative simplifications on energy efficiency procedures;
A guarantee fund of EUR 25 million for supporting ESCOs;
An important role given to the public sector, aiming at a better use of technical, economic and financial resources to promote energy saving actions;
Criteria for qualified experts which elaborate energy certification scheme of buildings;
Definition of the energy service contract and service contract plus energy introduced by Presidential Decree 412/93.

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