On June 3, Luigi Petito had the pleasure of speaking at the European Forum for Manufacturing’s dinner debate on “The Role of Energy Efficiency Technologies in the EU’s Sustainable Growth”, held at the European Parliament and co-organised by Lighting Europe.

Representing EU-ASE, he highlighted the essential role of hashtag#energyefficiency in enhancing the EU’s competitiveness and energy security. He shared key data about the economic impact of energy efficiency in the EU from our latest infographic and advocated for officially recognising energy efficiency as one of the 14 strategic industrial ecosystems under the EU Industrial Strategy (DG GROW, 2021).

A central theme from the evening was the importance of policy and regulatory stability – a message echoed by many participants.
Atendees included Margot Pinault (DG ENER), Jacek Truszczynski (DG GROW) and MEPs Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP, Czechia – event host), Kris Van Dijck (ECR, Belgium), and Aurelijus Veryga (ECR, Lithuania).

It was encouraging to see everyone engaging constructively on energy efficiency. As MEP Van Dijck put it: “The cheapest electricity is the one we do not consume.”

The event was a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and foster dialogue about the immense economic potential of energy efficiency.

On 20 May, the High-Level Stakeholders’ Dialogue brought together policymakers and industry leaders to reaffirm energy efficiency as a key pillar of Europe’s path to energy security, affordability and industrial competitiveness.

Commissioner Jørgensen highlighted the urgency of reducing energy dependency and stressed that energy efficiency delivers fast with short payback. Improving efficiency is not just about climate, it is about innovation, competitiveness and security.