ABSTRACT
The Energy Charter’s in-depth energy efficiency policy review reports are an important tool to provide policy support and recommendations on energy efficiency policies to the Eastern Partnership and Central Asian countries. The reviews provide an independent assessment of the status of implementation of energy efficiency policies and legislation and furthermore promote and strengthen the attention of decision makers to energy efficiency by providing specific policy recommendations. Ten Eastern Partnership and Central Asian countries were reviewed during 2010–2018 and similar challenges and obstacles to energy efficiency were identified, including missing, underdeveloped or poorly enforced policy and legislative framework on energy efficiency, very low institutional capacity to develop and implement energy efficiency policies, very low progress in implementing energy markets reforms and high penetration of tariff subsidies and cross-subsidies. Significant efforts are yet needed to overcome the challenges identified and to implement the Energy Charter’s policy recommendations. National Government should work in close cooperation with donors and international financial institutions should design and implement specific technical assistance programmes aimed at strengthening the legislative and regulatory framework and building the necessary administrative and technical capacity for energy efficiency policies implementation.
