Is the European energy system becoming more efficient?

Key messages

(07 Dec 2016)

In 2014, the EU-28 energy system was still heavily dependent on fossil fuels but it was in the process of decarbonising. Fossil fuels accounted for 72.5 % of total gross inland energy consumption while renewables accounted for 12.5 %. The efficiency of public conventional thermal power plants stabilised in the EU-28 at around 48 %. In 2014, only 72.3 % of total gross inland energy consumption in the EU‑28 reached  end users. Since 2005, the EU’s dependence on imports of fossil fuels (gas, solid fuels and oil) from non-EU countries remained stable at around 53 % as a share of total gross inland energy consumption. In 2014, 59.5 % of total net imports was oil, 26.5 % gas and 14 % solid fuels.

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