Brussels, 14 October 2016 – Today the European Builders Confederation (EBC) and the International Union of Property Owners (UIPI) co-organised the second of a series of seminars on financing energy efficiency in private housing. The workshop showed that, although energy efficiency obligations and alternative measures vary considerably across the Member States in their scale, scope and design, they provide more energy savings than any other policy instrument introduced by the Energy Efficiency Directive.

Under Article 7 of the Energy Efficiency Directive, EU Member States should set up energy efficiency obligation schemes. These schemes require energy companies to achieve yearly savings of 1.5% of their annual energy sales to final consumers through measures helping, among other things, final consumers increase the energy performance of their building.

EU countries may also implement alternative policy measures (to the energy efficiency obligation schemes) which reduce final energy consumption. These measures can include financial and fiscal incentives as well as training and education, including energy advisory programmes.

Through examples from France, Italy and the United Kingdom, this workshop showed how all these mechanisms can provide a suitable complement to finance and boost energy efficiency renovations in the privately-owned building stock.

Stratos Paradias, President of the International Union of Property Owners (UIPI), said: Improving energy efficiency of the European building stock is the greatest challenge the EU is facing! A project of this scale, no matter how strict the regulatory framework is, will not take off if key issues, such as financing, are not addressed first! Existing saving obligations might generate costs for utilities and increase energy prices but by targeting renovation of the entire housing stock, we can make the most out of them, so that it benefits all EU citizens and construction SMEs.

Patrick Liébus, President of the European Builders Confederation (EBC), said: The collaboration between construction SMEs and our direct clients, Europe’s small property owners, has proven successful in presenting innovative examples and highlighting a different perspective on energy efficiency. Today we showed that energy saving obligations pay off. Now we call on legislators to ‘Think Small First’ when deciding the future course of Europe’s energy policy. We want ambition and we are ready to play our part, but strict obligations and policies that do not support owners and SMEs will not work on the ground.

-End-

Note to the editors

Established in 1990, the European Builders Confederation (EBC) is a European professional organisation representing national associations of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises working in the construction sector.

UIPI is a pan-European association comprising 30 organisations from 28 countries. Jointly, they represent more than five million property owners and some 20 million dwellings. Founded in 1923, its member organisations share the common goal of promoting the rights and interests of private property owners.

Links

Have a look at the agenda of the event

You can access the presentations below:

• Snapshot of Article 7 by Tina FAWCETT
• Partnership between companies & installers and training for professionals by Christian DECONNINCK
• Italian fiscal incentives for energy renovation works by Gabriella AZZOLINI
• Energy efficiency obligation schemes in the UK by Tina FAWCETT
• Overview on Article 7 by DG Energy, Lelde KIELA-VILUMSONE

Contacts

Riccardo Viaggi, EBC Secretary General: riccardo.viaggi@ebc-construction.eu; +32 (0)2 2801650; +32 (0)495 123 577

Emmanuelle Causse, UIPI Director for European Affairs: office@uipi.com; +32(0)2 502 2318