The European Union (EU) played a key role in making the Paris Agreement a cornerstone of global commitment to tackle the negative impact that climate change could have on our economies and societies. The EU must now reflect in a coherent way such an ambitious and binding international agreement in the Energy Union legislative framework for 2030. The cost-effective contribution that both energy efficiency and renewable energy can provide to the European transition towards a low-carbon economy must be fully embedded in the EU climate and energy policies.

On behalf of the European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) and the energy efficiency business community, we are writing to express our full support for the creation of the Energy Union and to encourage EU institutions to place energy efficiency firmly at the forefront of its development and operation.

Nel nostro Paese la green economy ha contribuito e sta contribuendo in modo determinante a rilanciare la competitività del made in Italy. Una propensione che abbraccia tutti i settori della nostra economia – da quelli più tradizionali a quelli high tech, dall’agroalimentare all’edilizia, dalla manifattura alla chimica, dall’energia ai rifiuti – e che sale al 32% nel manifatturiero.

We are writing to express our encouragement at the increased recognition that energy efficiency is being given in current discussion regarding the Energy Union. It is our hope that as those discussions advance toward revision of existing EU legislation in 2016, they will be guided by the principle of “Efficiency First”, so that the final legislation contains concrete provisions, which promote energy efficiency as a fundamental lynchpin to success of the Energy Union.

We are convinced that the decisions the EU will take in the next months over the priorities of its energy policy will be crucial to improve Europe’s competitiveness and the well-being of its citizens. We are therefore pleased that the European Parliament is taking the issue of Energy security very seriously and that a significant discussion is taking place around your important report. In this context, we respectfully wish to express our views concerning the role that energy efficiency should play in such a discussion.