The European Commission sent a reasoned opinion to Hungary and Romania on Thursday, calling on them to transpose EU energy efficiency rules into their national legislation.
In its June package outlining infringement proceedings, the European Commission criticized the fact that the provisions of the revised Energy Efficiency Directive had not been incorporated into the national legislation of the two countries.
The revised directive was adopted in 2023, and member states were required to notify the Commission of most of the measures by October 11, 2025. In November 2025, the Commission sent letters of formal notice to 26 member states due to the failure to fully transpose the directive into national law; of these, Hungary and Romania have still not fulfilled their obligations.
Therefore, the Brussels body decided to send a reasoned opinion to Hungary and Romania. The two member states have two months to respond and fully implement the transposition of the legislation. If they fail to do so, the European Commission may refer the cases to the Court of Justice of the European Union and request the imposition of financial penalties.
The revised directive introduces energy efficiency measures that contribute to reducing total EU energy consumption, thereby helping to achieve the EU’s climate policy goals, as well as enhancing energy security and making energy more affordable.
It sets targets for energy consumption and energy savings, with particular regard to measures aimed at alleviating energy poverty, and also establishes targets for public sector consumption and the renovation of public sector-owned buildings.
In addition, it introduces the so-called “energy efficiency first” principle as one of the fundamental principles of EU energy policy, according to which EU countries must take energy efficiency into account in both the energy and non-energy sectors when adopting relevant policy measures and making major investment decisions.
Via MTI; Featured image: LinkedIn / European Commission
