Dear Minister Zypries,
We represent a group of cross-sectorial companies with factories and offices across the 28 Member States of the European Union and we are writing to you about the forthcoming EED trilogue negotiations.
The EED is central to the EU post-2020 energy framework and the success of the German and European Energiewende. It will lead to increased competitiveness, jobs creation and economic growth and will provide business with the much-needed certainty and predictability for energy efficiency related investments. Beyond the market growth and economic performance, the EED will benefit the environment, reduce GHG emissions, reinforce energy security, improve air quality and cut energy costs for households, which in turn will alleviate energy poverty.
We are concerned because two key elements of the EED are at stake i.e. the energy efficiency target by 2030 and the 1.5% annual energy saving target. Both these provisions are necessary to deliver the EU commitments made in the framework of the Energy Union and the Paris Agreement.
In this sense and ahead of the forthcoming trilogue negotiations we urge you to:
• support the binding nature of the EU energy efficiency target to strengthen investor confidence
• increase the level of ambition of the target to a cost-effective 40% by 2030, expressed both in primary and final energy terms
• extend the 1.5% annual energy savings obligations beyond 2020 (perspective 2050)
• avoid double counting and loopholes that would undermine the effectiveness of Art.7 and of the whole Directive
• include transport energy consumption in the baseline when calculating the savings.
So far, on this legislative dossier, Germany, together with France, has played a leading role in driving ambition in the Council. Thus, we are confident that under your leadership a progressive coalition of Member States can hopefully support a strong EED which, combined with a well-crafted Governance 2030 mechanism, is a win-win for a prosperous economic future of the entire European Union.
In a fast-changing political and economic environment, 2025 was a year of continued efforts to strengthen security, stability, and competitiveness for European businesses.
Throughout the year, our work demonstrated that energy efficiency is not only essential to achieving climate goals, but also a key driver of innovation, energy independence and sustainable long-term growth across Europe.
Strong engagement with policymakers, combined with the successful organisation of the 4th European Energy Efficiency Day, highlighted the importance of collaboration and dialogue in advancing shared objectives. Partnerships across sectors and institutions remained central to delivering impact and shaping effective energy policies.
Looking ahead to 2026, we will intensify our efforts to secure the regulatory certainty that can accelerate the energy transition, while providing businesses with the investment confidence they need and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness.
Read the full Activity Report here.