The SAVE programme, which was adopted by the EC Energy Council in October 1991, is a wide-ranging five year programme, which forms part of the Community strategy to limit CO2 emissions, in this case through improving energy efficiency.
Activity within the programme ranges from defining standards, through encouraging initiatives in member states, to international information networks.
Clearly SAVE is a developing programme, but since its adoption Ireland has been actively involved in its implementation at EC and national level.
As an illustration, I can use the recent Directive under the programme which was agreed at the Ministerial Energy Council meeting on 25 June. This directive requires measures such as the energy certification of buildings, thermal insulation of buildings and energy audits of businesses to be introduced by the end of 1994. Ireland in fact submitted projects for Community support to establish pilot projects, in both the certification of houses and audits in business in 1992. These are now underway with Community support.
Where regulations are required I expect EC implementation deadlines to be met. In some cases we have taken the initiative. For example a Directive on energy labelling of fridges is still in preparation. However, a voluntary scheme has been introduced in this country and EC assistance under the SAVE programme has been sought to extend this in co-operation with the Consumers' Association of Ireland, Eolas and the ESB, this year.
Finally, Ireland is very much involved in the international information network where Eolas is the managing contractor on behalf of the European energy network and is doing an excellent job on behalf of our country in the European Community.