European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legal regulations provides information on regulations in the Member States of the European Union and Norway which are explicitly or implicitly linked to anticipating and managing change.
Section 18 of the Act Implementing EU Energy Efficiency Directives; Articles 4-6 of Temporary arrangement for the implementation of Articles 8 and 14; Articles 8 and 14 of Energy efficiency directive.
EED energy audit
The EED energy audit is an obligation arising from the European energy efficiency directive (EED). Its purpose is to make companies and institutions aware of their energy consumption and of the options for saving energy and making the energy consumption more sustainable. The energy audit provides a detailed overview of all energy flows within the company. The audit also provides insights into possible saving measures and their expected effects. This concerns, among other things, the energy consumption of buildings, industrial processes and installations, including transport and heat.
An EED energy audit report consists of:
Large companies are obliged to carry out an energy audit every four years. The obligation applies to the companies that consume more than 50,000 kWh electricity or 25,000 m3 gas per year. Companies under the energy covenants are exempted from the obligation.
As of 1 July 2019, there is also an obligation to provide information on energy savings. This means that companies should report which energy-saving measures they have implemented from this date.
A company is obliged to perform the EED energy audit if it is a large company that does not have an SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) status according to European principles. This is the case if a company (or institution with an economic activity) has 250 employees or more, including participation of or in partner companies and affiliated companies; or has an annual turnover of more than €50 million and an annual balance sheet total of more than €43 million, including participation of or in partner companies and affiliated companies.
Environmental protection act
In the Netherlands, businesses must comply with the energy saving regulations listed in the Activities decree (Activiteitenbesluit). They achieve compliance by reducing their energy demand, by applying sustainable technologies and by using renewable energy sources.
Before 1 July 2019, reporting of energy efficiency measures was done through RVO.nl, an online submission portal which provides information to assist obligated parties.
The lists of recognised measures (EML Erkende Maatregelenlijst) were introduced in 2015. Updated sector specific lists of recognised energy efficiency measures were published and entered into force in April 2019.
The payback method was published in July 2019.
Eurofound (2021), Netherlands: Obligation to undertake energy efficiency audits, Restructuring legislation database, Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/obligation-to-undertake-energy-efficiency-audits/netherlands
Between the end of 2022 and the first half of 2023, almost 300,000 employees working for ‘big tech’ companies were laid off across the world, making headlines for months in global media. This development has been a shock, considering the high numbers of jobs in well-known tech corporations with a reputation for offering good working conditions and well-paid positions.
The retail banking sector is fertile ground for studying the impacts of digitalisation on work and employment. Financial services are increasingly provided online, without the intermediary of customer-facing institutions. Many banks in the sector have been undergoing serial restructuring since the global financial crisis, and it is one of the few service sectors with stagnant or declining employment.
Since 2011, the Restructuring support instruments database of the EU PolicyWatch has been collecting information on measures that assist companies and workers to anticipate and manage restructuring. This article looks at measures in the database aimed at supporting employees and employers during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022).
Eurofound’s European Restructuring Monitor database reveals the impact of the energy crisis on employment in the EU. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, energy prices have hit record highs. The European Commission imposed sanctions and limitations on the import of oil and gas from Russia, which has reacted by reneging on supply commitments to many Member States.
