Table 2 List of criteria distinguished

Goal attainment/ Effectiveness

Have specified goals been attained? Can this be attributed to the policy?

E.g. Has the policy reduced absolute greenhouse gas emissions by the targeted level?

Cost-effectiveness

How much of a given benefit is delivered per unit of expenditure?

E.g. How many tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions have been reduced for each Euro?

Efficiency

Have the optimal goals been formulated?

E.g. Is the price of carbon right?

Fairness

How are the costs and benefits of a policy distributed among certain sectors of society?

E.g. Does the EU emissions trading system (ETS) lead to windfall profits for power producers?

Legitimacy

Does the public accept the policies? Does the policy meet criteria of democratic accountability, such as transparency?

E.g. How much public support is there for policies to promote wind power?

Coordination

Is the policy well-coordinated with other policies?

E.g. How does the use of renewable energy certificates interact with the EU ETS?

Legal admissibility

Is the policy compatible with legal rules and principles?

E.g. Is the Member State’s energy efficiency policy in line with the Energy Efficiency Directive or the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union?