BRUSSELS - European Union members have to step up their efforts to meet the EU 2030 energy consumption reduction target, the European Commission said on Wednesday when it published its annual Energy Union Report.

The EU countries passed a binding target in October 2023 according to which they should reduce final energy consumption by 11.7 percent by 2030 compared to the projected energy use for 2030 based on the 2020 reference scenario.

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They also set themselves a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

"All Member States must step up efforts to ensure a sufficient level ambition and ensure that the European Union is on track towards its collective energy and climate targets for 2030," the report said.

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It urged member states to submit their National Energy and Climate Plans as soon as possible in order to "address bottlenecks, discuss best practices, and improve regional coordination and enable a rapid and agile delivery of our 2030 objectives."

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The Commission said more coordination among member states is needed, as well as market integration and joint action in order to address emerging challenges that include the increase of energy poverty, the energy price differential compared to other global competitors and the risk of new critical dependencies.

The report also recognizes the need to build partnerships with industry to accelerate the development of net-zero technologies and strengthen the EU's manufacturing base.