Brussels, 21 June 2012: At the AGM of the European Ventilation Industry Association held on 11 – 12 June 2012 in Brussels, EVIA members decided to promote the importance of indoor air quality for health and comfort in an extended spectrum of policy and legislation such as Energy Performance of Buildings, as well as financial support for renovation in Europe where the ventilation industry can greatly contribute. 

According to EVIA’s President, Stefan Wiesendanger,  ”after successfully creating awareness that the benefit of ventilation is not limited to a reduction in the use of electricity, but has a much larger benefit in terms of reduced overall energy consumption of a building, the added emphasis on indoor air quality puts people’s health at the center of attention, which is the reason to ventilate after all”.

“In its very short life-span, the 36 strong members of EVIA have successfully profiled themselves as the European champions in ventilation,” confirmed Stefan Wiesendanger.  “Whilst the primary policy focus of EVIA will continue to be the Ecodesign Directive, the issue of indoor air quality is steadily moving up the EU agenda, and EVIA members are all in agreement that during 2013 - the much-heralded European Year of Air - this will also be one of our top priorities.” 

The AGM was a great success, involving 36 representatives of EVIA’s member companies and special guests from the European Commission, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), and the European Environmental Citizens Organisation for Standardization (ECOS), building on EVIA’s commitment to engage with both decision-makers and opinion formers to create a greater awareness of the role of ventilation in today’s society and to create more open channels of dialogue. 

Tobias Biermann, a policy officer responsible for the ventilation systems under Ecodesign ENTR Lot 6 and ENER Lot 10 in the European Commission, updated members on the recent developments concerning the Ecodesign Directive. Amongst others, the decision to merge the ventilation systems of different Ecodesign Lots, in order to make the decision-making process for ventilation products more effective, is strongly supported by EVIA. 

The fruitful dialogue between industry associations and environmental groups was highlighted during a lively discussion featuring Stéphane Arditi of the EEB, Stamatis Sivitos of the European Environmental Citizens Organisation for Standardization (ECOS), and EVIA members. All agreed that continuous communication between all interested parties will lead to a more solid and efficient policy-making process in the field of Ecodesign.

The AGM also saw the election of a new Director to the Steering Committee, Juan Miró of Soler & Palau, the adaptation of the statutes to ensure that Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) is put on an equal footing with heat recovery and the creation of a new Task Force to promote ventilation and ensure that it is correctly addressed in EU policy and legislation with a focus on energy performance of buildings.

EVIA, which represents the ventilation industry in Europe, was founded in 2010, comprising 36 member companies and national associations across Europe, combining a turnover of over €7 billion and employing more than 45,000 people. Please find more information on our website www.evia.eu.