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Indicator Assessment
Final energy consumption in the EU-25 increased by about 8% over the period 1990 to 2002. Transport has been the fastest-growing sector since 1990 and is now the largest consumer of final energy.
Final energy consumption in the EU-25 increased by about 8% between 1990 and 2002, thus partly counteracting the reductions in the environmental impact of energy production achieved as a result of fuel-mix changes and technological improvements. Between 2001 and 2002, final energy consumption decreased by 1.4 percentage points, driven mainly by reductions in the household sector as a result of lower space heating requirements due to higher than average temperatures during 2002.
The structure of final energy consumption has undergone significant changes in recent years. Transport was the fastest-growing sector in the EU-25 between 1990 and 2002, with final energy consumption increasing by 24.3%. Final energy consumption by services (including agriculture) and households grew by 10.2 % and 6.5 % respectively while final energy consumption in the industry sector fell by 7.7 % over the same period. These developments meant that by 2002, transport was the largest consumer of final energy, followed by industry, households and services.
Changes in the structure of final energy consumption were stimulated by the rapid growth of a wide range of service sectors and a shift to less energy-intensive manufacturing industries. The development of the internal market has resulted in increased freight transport as companies exploit the competitive advantages of different regions. Rising personal incomes have permitted higher standards of living, with resultant increases in the ownership of private cars and domestic appliances. Higher comfort levels, reflected in increased demand for space heating and cooling, have also contributed to higher final energy consumption.
There are significant differences in the pattern of final energy consumption between the pre-2004 EU-15 Member States and the new Member States. The new Member States have seen falling final energy consumption mainly as a result of economic restructuring following the political changes of the early 1990s. However, with the economic recovery in these countries, final energy consumption since 2000 has increased slightly.
Final energy consumption covers energy supplied to the final consumer for all energy uses. It is calculated as the sum of final energy consumption of all sectors. These are disaggregated to cover industry, transport, households, services and agriculture.
The indicator can be presented in relative or absolute terms. The relative contribution of a specific sector is measured by the ratio between the final energy consumption of that sector and total final energy consumption calculated for a calendar year. It is a useful indicator which highlights a country's sectoral needs in terms of final energy demand.
Final energy consumption is measured in thousand tonnes of oil equivalent (ktoe).
Directive 2009/29/ec of the European parliament and of the Council amending directive 2003/87/ec so as to improve and extend the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme of the community
Directive 2009/31/ec of the European parliament and of the Council on the geological storage of carbon dioxide
Directive 2009/28/ec of the European parliament and of the Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
Community guidelines on state aid for environmental protection (2008/c 82/01)
Directive 2008/101/ec of the European parliament and of the Council amending directive 2003/87/ec so as to include aviation activities in the scheme for greenhouse gas Emission allowance trading within the community
Regulation (ec) no 443/2009 of the European parliament and of the Council setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the community's integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles
Average annual rate of growth calculated using: [(last year/base year) ^ (1/number of years) -1]*100
The coding (used in the Eurostat database) and specific components of the indicator are:
The coding (used in the IEA database) and specific components of the indicator are:
No gap filling necessary
No methodology references available.
Any cross-country comparison of the distribution of final energy consumption between sectors will have to be accompanied by a relevant measure of the importance of the sector in the economy, as the sectoral shares also depends on the country's economic circumstances. Because the focus is on the reduction of final energy consumption and not on the sectoral redistribution of such consumption, the trends in the absolute values (in thousand tonnes of oil equivalent) should be preferred as a more meaningful indicator of progress. However, even if the same sectors in two countries are equally important to the economy, the gross (primary) consumption of energy needed before it reaches the final user might draw from energy sources that pollute the environment in different ways. Thus, from an environmental point of view, the final energy consumption of a sector should be analysed in that broader context.
The sectoral breakdown of final energy consumption includes industry, transport, households, services, agriculture, fisheries and other sectors. The projection data aggregates agriculture, fisheries and other sectors together with the services sector, and projections are based on such aggregation. To be consistent with these projections, the core set indicator uses the same aggregation. The inclusion of agriculture and fisheries together with the services sector is however questionable given their divergent trends. Separate assessments are therefore made where appropriate. It is worth noting that according to Eurostat final energy consumption in agriculture is not very reliable and it mainly means consumption from engines used for agricultural transportation. From next year a new definition will be used in the energy questionnaires to be more in line with the IPCC guidelines.
Data have been traditionally compiled by Eurostat through the annual Joint Questionnaires (shared by Eurostat and the International Energy Agency) following a well established and harmonised methodology. Data are transmitted to Eurostat electronically by using a common set of tables. Data is then treated to find inconsistencies and input in the database. Estimations are not normally necessary since annual data are complete.
No uncertainty has been specified
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/final-energy-consumption-by-sector-1/final-energy-consumption-by-sector or scan the QR code.
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