Position Papers

People have been locked into an energy and transport system fundamentally based on (imported) fossil fuels. This has a negative impact on the planet, our health, wallets, and geopolitical security. Change is afoot to decarbonise our economy, influenced by clear EU policies in energy, product design, and the automotive sector. BEUC research has consistently shown that electrification in many consumer areas – cars, cooling, heating – is the most affordable option.

The energy market is too complex and often out of reach for most households to offer consumers fair opportunities to engage. Recent reforms of EU energy law give consumers new rights and protections, but these will only work if properly implemented, monitored, supported, and enforced. BEUC is therefore strongly supportive of the Citizens Energy Package and calls on the European Commission for an ambitious initiative that should result in lower energy bills. All consumers must be properly protected and able to exercise their rights, access renewable energy, and take advantage of innovative energy contracts and schemes.

Below, we summarise the key recommendations that are needed to turn consumers rights into
concrete actions. The measures and best practices are explained in more detail in the respective
sections of the consultation response.

To make a well-informed choice when buying a car (new or second-hand), consumers need clear and accurate information about a car’s real-world fuel or electricity consumption, its overall environmental impact or incentives available in their country. With many new models and powertrains available along with evolving purchase habits, current EU rules adopted in 1999 and are now completely outdated.

Many consumers do not buy new cars. Due to skyrocketing new car prices over the last few years, they now heavily rely on the second- and third-hand market. Second-hand battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are the best financial choice for consumers, brining between €262 and €849/year savings compared to a used
petrol car. But the supply of second-hand BEVs is still low. Hence, electrifying large corporate fleets (representing 60% of new car sales in Europe and with a first ownership period of around four years) can be a game changer to make the BEV transition faster and fairer for consumers.