97. Calls on the Commission to ensure that Horizon 2020, and the European Innovation Partnerships under the Innovation Union, prioritise energy system optimisation and the need to develop all types of sustainable low-carbon technologies in order to spur EU competitiveness, promote job opportunities and create incentives to responsible energy behaviour; supports the goals of the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan and of the associated European Industrial Initiatives in this regard; stresses that promoting energy efficiency and reducing the cost of renewable energy through technological improvements and innovation should also be accorde ...[+++]d the highest priority by, inter alia, earmarking a higher share of public research budgets for renewable energy and energy efficiency research, particularly in Horizon 2020 and the SET plan;

97. Calls on the Commission to ensure that Horizon 2020, and the European Innovation Partnerships under the Innovation Union, prioritise energy system optimisation and the need to develop all types of sustainable low-carbon technologies in order to spur EU competitiveness, promote job opportunities and create incentives to responsible energy behaviour; supports the goals of the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan and of the associated European Industrial Initiatives in this regard; stresses that promoting energy efficiency and reducing the cost of renewable energy through technological improvements and innovation should also be accorde ...[+++]d the highest priority by, inter alia, earmarking a higher share of public research budgets for renewable energy and energy efficiency research, particularly in Horizon 2020 and the SET plan;

51. Emphasises that Europe should be at the cutting edge in the development of energy related Internet and ICT low-carbon technologies and applications; stresses that ICT can and should play a major role in promoting responsible energy consumption in households, transport, electricity generation and distribution as well as in the ICT sector itself (accounting for some 8% of electricity consumption); calls therefore to assess in particular the energy efficiency potential of data centres; considers that enhanced support for innovation must always be accompanied by a reduction of red tape for applicants; acknowledges the need to support ...[+++] partnerships between the ICT sector and major emitting sectors to improve the energy efficiency and emissions of these sectors;

30. Insists that energy efficiency should figure more prominently in the SET-Plan, since it is the area with the most potential for cost effective emission reductions in the medium term, particularly in the building sector, which accounts for 40 % of the total EU energy consumption; calls, therefore, on the Commission to add energy efficiency technologies, including co- and poly-generation, to the areas covered by the EIIs; supports the inclusion of energy efficiency as one of the priorities covered by the EIIs;

31. Insists that energy efficiency should figure more prominently in the SET Plan, since it is the area with the most potential for cost effective emission reductions in the medium term; especially in the building sector, which counts for 40% of the total EU energy consumption; calls, therefore, on the Commission to add energy efficiency technologies, including co- and poly-generation, to the areas covered by the EIIs; supports the inclusion of energy efficiency as one of the priorities covered by the EIIs;

The role of public authorities, particularly the EU, is to make individuals and their political representatives aware of the urgency of improving energy efficiency. It is imperative for the environment, for the economy and for our health.