EU to enhance energy efficiency, security

European energy and environment ministers in the Italian city of Milan Monday provided input for new measures on energy efficiency and energy security that they ensured will be adopted at an upcoming European Council meeting.

"Today's meeting has created the basis for further measures aimed at enhancing Europe's energy efficiency and security that would be subject to a final decision by the European Council on Oct 23-24," European Union (EU) Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger told a press conference.

EU is the biggest importer of primary energy in the world, which makes it urgent and necessary to enhance energy efficiency, Oettinger noted.

An ambitious EU level energy efficiency target of 30 percent by 2030 will be set at the European Council, he said.

De-carbonisation and diversification of sources, development of energy infrastructures, completion of the internal energy market and strengthening the external dimension of the energy policy were among the proposed short, medium and long-term measures, Oettinger added.