Brussels, December 2016 – The Energy Efficiency Industrial Forum (EEIF), representing a wide range of European industries providing energy efficient products and services, welcomes the European Commission’s efforts in proposing a coherent ‘Clean Energy for All’ Package. Worth an annual €150 billion contribution to the EU economy and around 1 million direct jobs, the EEIF now calls on the co-legislators to go further on the energy efficiency legislation, and to equip industry with a long-term ambition and an enabling framework to accelerate investments in energy efficiency.
On 30th November 2016, the European Commission published the ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ Package, which notably included revisions of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), as well as the Eco-design Working Plan for 2016-2019. The EEIF welcomes these publications as an opportunity to improving the regulatory framework and making it fit for securing and accelerating investments in the energy efficiency market, in line with the Energy Efficiency First principle.
The European Commission also proposed a binding energy efficiency target of 30% by 2030. “This is a step in the right direction, but it only ensures continuing the business as usual scenario. We are missing a once-in-a-decade opportunity to truly boost the energy efficiency market”, says Adrian JOYCE, Secretary General of EuroACE, and convenor of the EEIF.
The industries represented in the EEIF call for the 2030 target to be set at its proven cost-effective potential, i.e. at a 40% level. Each additional 1% of energy savings greatly matters – it means 500,000 additional jobs, more growth, and reduced gas imports to the EU by 2.6%.
EEIF and its members are now committed to work with the European Parliament and Council, throughout the legislative procedure, in order to fully open up business opportunities in the energy efficiency sector. MEPs and Member States now have the responsibility to ensure that the regulatory framework is fit for bringing these benefits to all Europeans.
For more information on the cost-effective solutions that the Energy Efficiency Industrial Forum (EEIF) is bringing to the EU economy and to citizens, have a look at our infographics!
To the press release here