Commissioner Andris Piebalgs at EuroACE plenary meeting

Energy efficiency is to be the top energy priority for 2005, EC Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has told a plenary meeting of EuroACE. As a first step, he will be issuing a new Green Paper, which will set out a range of "ambitious ideas" on how finally to realise the 20% of cost-effective energy savings long identified.

Many of these will be in the buildings sector. He invited EuroACE (the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings) companies to assist him, first in creating his new plans, and then to help launch them into action. "We want to work with your industry to realise this enormous potential, to promote the win-win concept. Energy efficiency will help us deliver the Lisbon strategy, by improving competitiveness. It will improve energy security, by reducing the amount of energy we need to import. It is the key mechanism to realise Europe's climate change commitments, made under the Kyoto treaty."

The Commissioner said that he was conscious of the need to ensure that all 25 Member States complemented the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive "purposefully". EuroACE is part of the official committee set up by the Union to oversee effective implementation. He also said that he would consider expanding the directive's requirements, to cover mandatory refurbishment of existing homes, in addition to the current requirements for the upgrading of commercial buildings.

He welcomed EuroACE's strong and active support for the draft Energy Services Directive, and reiterated his determination that it should include some mandatory targets for energy saving within it. "We tried the voluntary delivery route under the old 1993 SAVE directive. It failed entirely."

EuroACE President, Rick Wilberforce (Pilkington), told the Commissioner about a project which the Alliance is now jointly completing with the International Energy Agency. This examines the ways in which the enormous energy saving potential in Europe's many high-rise residential buildings can be realised.

The Commissioner agreed that it was important that this knowledge should be spread, particularly among the new Member States. His services would work with EuroACE to help deliver that message. He also drew attention to the need to explore how the structural funds programme might be used more effectively to increase energy efficiency investment. He challenged EuroACE to undertake work in this area.

He concluded by saying that he hoped that this was just the first of many sessions which he hoped to have, working with EuroACE members. "Our goal is exactly the same. It is to make sure Europe's citizens, and its businesses, adopt a new and far more active approach to investing in energy efficiency measures in buildings, the biggest area of energy consumption."

Commissioner Piebalgs arriving at EuroACE meeting
Paula Higgins (DG TREN), Rik de Vos (Huntsman), Andrew Warren (Senior Advisor), Andris Piebalgs (EC Energy Commissioner)

EuroACE President, Rick Wilberforce (Pilkington), greets the Commissioner

Commissioner Piebalgs addressing EuroACE members

Piebalgs in discussion with Kurt-Emil Eriksen (Velux)