Improving energy efficiency in the European Union is a complex task, which
requires the commitment of Member States to be accomplished. The existing
20% energy efficiency target for 2020, recently reinforced for 2030 towards a
27% energy consumption reduction goal creates a higher pressure to deliver the
potential benefits for the economy, environment and society. This research paper
presents a governance analysis, as a proxy on the ability of Member States
to contribute to the existing energy efficiency targets. The governance analysis
conducted for the EU-28 highlights that more efforts are required to ensure that
Member States follow and adopt existing legislation, alongside with developments
on the existing financial support mechanisms, human capacities and institutional
structures. Furthermore, individual country analysis depicts a misalignment on
the governance performance for the EU-28 Member States.