Rome, 30 May 2017 — Yesterday senior business representatives, who are members of the European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE), met in Rome at the Italian Ministry for Economic Development (MISE) to present their views on the revisions of both the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) to Mr Gilberto Dialuce, Director General on EU and External Affairs, Mr Mauro Mallone, Head of Energy Efficiency Unit and Mr Gian Paolo Toriello, Member of MISE Secretariat General.

The EU-ASE representatives, who represent some of Europe’s leading multinational companies, asked to unleash the full potential that could derive from an EU 40% binding target for 2030 and a forward-looking revision of both EED and EPBD, in particular, through increasing the scale and depth of building renovations. Indeed, the energy saving potential for the building sector is immense, given that more than two thirds of the Italian building stock was built before 1976, the year of the first Italian law on energy performance of buildings.

After the meeting, Monica Frassoni, EU-ASE President, said: “ We welcome that the Ministry considers energy efficiency as a strategic priority for Italy and a pillar for the decarbonization of our economy. The Italian leadership on energy efficient technologies has put the country in a very favourable and competitive position which should be maintained in the years to come. Hence, the Italian government should not miss the strategic opportunity to increase the level of ambition of the EU energy efficiency target for 2030, keep its binding nature and dismiss any attempt to water down key provisions that would set the right policy framework to address building renovations. On these issues, the Government should take the same positive and proactive leadership which is currently playing to address the accounting rules issue at EU level, a remarkable barrier to investments in the public sector.”

By strengthening EPBD provisions, reliable national long-term renovation strategies will provide businesses and the financial community with the necessary legal certainty and stable framework to boost investments in the building sector. Also, the 1.5% energy savings obligations (Art. 7 EED), which have worked particularly well in Italy, should be maintained, extended beyond 2020 and clearly aligned with national strategies to trigger building renovation, as recently outlined in a letter addressed by EU-ASE to Minister Calenda. Unfortunately, at the last Informal Energy Ministerial in Malta on May 18, the Italian Government proposed a possible gradual reduction of Art.7’s 1.5% target (i.e. down to 1% from 2026) which would reduce the energy saving impact of this policy.

Daniele Cerutti, Managing Director Mediterranean Area for Knauf Insulation, said: “ Knauf Insulation has always campaigned to improve energy efficiency policies for buildings. Why? Because regulation drives positive change and nowhere is this truer than Italy. Building renovation programmes will boost the Italian economy, strengthen our energy security, and render our buildings more resilient, sustainable and fundamentally comfortable places for our citizens to live and work.”

Laura Bruni, Development Plan & Influence Strategy Director, Schneider Electric, added: “ An ambitious review of the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is crucial for the European and Italian economic development and technological leadership. Digital approaches and automation solutions for building renovation, for example, are pillars for reducing consumption, climate-change emissions, and energy poverty while increasing comfort. Raising the bar is strategic to show to the institutions, citizens, companies and public administration a smart and sustainable future.”

Sergio Andreis, Director, Kyoto Club, concluded: “ Italy can play a key role in the Council by leading a progressive coalition of Member States to increase the ambition of major EU energy efficiency directives. The support for an EU binding target for energy efficiency at 40%, underpinned by dedicated policies and measures, can bring tangible benefits to industry and citizens through, for example, reduced energy bills, creation of local jobs, better health and comfort and higher productivity.”

At the meeting, the EU-ASE business representatives also expressed their support for a rapid launch of the Energy Efficiency Guarantee Fund, which has been expected since 2015 but not established yet—and which, in their view, would further support energy efficiency investments in Italy.

Warsaw, 23 May 2017 — Polish business representatives who are members of the European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE), met today with the Undersecretary of State from the Polish Ministry for Energy, Mr. Michał Kurtyka, to urge the Government to grasp the full social, environmental and economic potentials that can be derived from the current revisions of key EU energy efficiency directives.

Because of its key role among Visegrad countries and in the Council, the position of the Polish Government influences the ambition of the revisions of both the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which are currently being analysed by Member States. The meeting with the Undersecretary of State takes place one month before the last Energy Council under the Maltese EU Presidency, which is trying to seal an agreement on the EED and EPBD files on 26 June.

Ahead of today’s meeting, Monica Frassoni, EU-ASE President, said: “In Poland, our companies have production sites which create hundreds of local jobs, stimulate exports and contribute to national economic growth. Energy efficiency is a business opportunity that needs to be boosted by a cost-effective EU binding target of 40% for 2030 to guarantee security for private and public investments. Energy efficiency also provides the answer to two major political problems in Poland: energy poverty and air quality.”

Energy poverty in Poland concerns 9.6% of households (approximately 4.4 million people), largely due to the low energy efficiency of buildings. With regard to air quality, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a staggering 33 out of the 50 most polluted cities in Europe are in Poland. This is due to the fact that the Polish energy mix relies mostly on coal, the main energy source, which generates more than 80% of the national electricity and is also used to heat homes. This coal use has led to very high levels of harmful pollutants, especially when temperatures drop in winter.

Ahead of today’s meeting, that took place at the Ministry of the Treasury in Warsaw, Bogdan Ślęk, Government Affairs Director, CEE Lighting, Philips Lighting Poland, said: “We count on the Polish government to secure an ambitious EU Energy Package, driving growth and innovation in Europe. Technology is available today. For example, switching to connected lighting systems in buildings can save up to 80% of electricity used.”

Adam Jedrzejczak, Regional CEO, Danfoss, added: “Today, the economic cost of energy consumption in Poland related to buildings sector exceeds 70 bn PLN which represents about 4% of GDP annual. This shows what great potential for the Polish economy can be released by introducing energy efficiency technologies in this sector. The revision of the EPBD is a unique opportunity to reduce the energy demand of the building stock and improve air quality at the same time. A priority is to tap into the enormous potential that lies in the control of energy flows inside buildings.”

Business representatives highlighted to Mr. Kurtyka key policy recommendations as identified by EU-ASE companies in a Position Paper on the Clean Energy for All Europeans package and the revisions of both EED and EPBD, which are intended to inform policy-makers throughout the co-decision procedure.