The European Parliament is asking member states to save a minimum of 9 percent of the energy supplied to end-users over nine years.
STRASBOURG, France — The European Parliament is to approve watered-down plans to reduce energy consumption in private households and the public sector, asking EU member states to save a minimum of 9 percent of the energy supplied to end-users over nine years.
Originally Euro lawmakers had backed a mandatory 11.5 percent cut, strengthening a proposal put forward by the EU's executive Commission in 2003 following a series of electricity blackouts in Europe that year. But EU energy ministers reduced the target earlier this year to 6 percent and made it "indicative" rather than binding.
The 9 percent figure is a compromise, reached by the parliament's main groups and the EU governments. The legislation comes up for a vote this week in Strasbourg.
The proposal covers electricity, gas, heating oil and transport fuels.
Source: Associated Press
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