2014 pdf digital newsletter january 2014 by European Association of Electrical Contractors

© PDF _ DIGITAL NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2014 • EYE CATCHER: EC Energy and Climate Package • EUROPEAN NEWS [Directive/Project] • SECTOR RELATED NEWS • FUTURE EVENTS: AIE Council 2014 Slovenia | SAVE THE DATE(s) 2014 • PUBLICATIONS [Position Papers/Press Release]

01_Eye catcher: COMMISSION RELEASES ITS 2030 CLIMATE AND ENERGY PACKAGE A reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40% below the 1990 level, an EU‐wide binding target for renewable energy of at least 27%, renewed ambitions for energy efficiency policies, a new governance system and a set of new indicators to ensure a competitive and secure energy system. These are the pillars of the new EU framework on climate and energy for 2030 presented on 22 January by the European Commission. The key elements of the 2030 policy framework set out by the Commission are as follows: 1. A binding greenhouse gas reduction target: A centre piece of the EU’s energy and climate policy for 2030, the target of a 40% emissions reduction below the 1990 level would be met through domestic measures alone. 2. An EU‐wide binding renewable energy target of at least 27% in 2030: However, it would not be translated into national targets through EU legislation, thus leaving flexibility and subsidiarity to Member States to transform the energy system in a way that is adapted to national preferences and circumstances. 3. Energy efficiency ‐ No binding target whatsoever: The role of energy efficiency in the 2030 framework will be further considered in a review of the Energy Efficiency Directive due to be concluded later this year. The Commission will consider the potential need for amendments to the directive once the review has been completed. 4. Reform of EU ETS: The Commission proposes to establish a market stability reserve at the beginning of the next ETS trading period in 2021. The Communication setting out the 2030 framework is accompanied by a Report on energy prices and costs, which assesses the key drivers and compares EU prices with those of its main trading partners. Energy prices have risen in nearly every Member State since 2008 – mainly because of taxes and levies, but also due to higher network costs. The comparison with international partners highlights rising price differentials, notably with US gas prices – which could undermine Europe's competitiveness, particularly for energy intensive industries. In a joint vote on 9 January, environment and industry MEP’s had backed a 40% cut in CO² emissions, a 30% target for renewable energy and a 40% target for energy efficiency. All 3 targets should be binding, they said. The disappointment regarding the exclusion of an Energy Efficiency Target from the 2030 Package is high amongst stakeholders in Brussels. Though today’s awareness of the enormous potential for the construction sector in terms of employment and huge energy savings in buildings is high, the Commission goes entirely against the views expressed by the stakeholders and the democratically‐elected Members of the EP in their recent Report on 2030. The only possible way to respond and enhance energy efficiency, in particular

regarding buildings, would be in the national energy efficiency action plans Member States need to introduce by June 2014 and when reviewing the Energy Efficiency Directive! “It is disappointing that we cannot yet confirm the numerous benefits of energy efficiency. Energy efficiency would enable us to reduce energy bills, our dependence on countries producing oil and gas and our energy balance and to create thousands of jobs in Europe. Excluding a binding Energy Efficiency Target in the 2030 Climate and Energy Package is openly disregarding the Report adopted in the ENVI‐ITRE Parliamentary Committees this month which calls for 3 binding targets”, said Anne Delvaux, Co‐Rapporteur on the EP’s 2030 Report. “Increased Energy Efficiency should be seen as the cornerstone of the EU’s 2030 climate and energy package, and a binding 40% Energy Efficiency target by 2030 is the only way to unlock the huge energy savings in sectors such as buildings where the energy savings is huge and cost‐effective!” Next steps The European Council is expected to consider the framework at its spring meeting on 20‐21 March. > Learn more about the Climate and Energy Package: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/2030_en.htm > Press release of the European Commission: http://europa.eu/rapid/press‐release_IP‐14‐54_en.htm

02_European news [Directives / Projects] 02‐01: PUBLIC PROCUREMENT: VOTE OF THE PLENARY PARLIAMENT The European Parliament adopted on 15 January the public procurement directives and the new directive on the award of concessions. The new rules which have been adopted by the European Parliament have three main objectives: simplification, flexibility and legal certainty. Through this reform, public authorities can optimise their use of public procurement which, with nearly 19% of European GDP, is a key driver of the economy. But the next step now will be for our members at national level when implementing and applying the Directive. Indeed some provisions are not binding and/ or will need cautious attention. For instance, the introduction of the division of contracts into lots will enable SME’s to participate in more tenders and combined with the ‘apply or explain’ principle (a contracting authority must explain why the contract is not divided in different technical and professional lots of smaller sizes) should be favourable but equally opens the door to more flexibility and subjectivity for public authorities. The use of self‐declaration and the reduction of the minimum turnover necessary for a firm to participate in a bid are positive provisions that will reduce the bureaucratic and financial costs for SMEs participating in public tenders. Another important provision is the direct payment of subcontractors. The Council is expected to approve the adoption of these three Directives in the coming weeks, in order to allow their entry into force in March.

02‐02: POSTING OF WORKERS: AGREEMENT REACHED BY COUNCIL BUT DEBATE WITH PARLIAMENT NOT FINISHED! The 28 EU Labour ministers reached an agreement on 9 December on new rules to regulate workers posted from one country to another, but the compromise has been deemed “less ambitious” than what MEPs wanted. The compromise text was agreed on Monday 9 December after 18 months of negotiations on the so‐called posted workers directive, which is supposed to curtail abuses of European Union law that enable companies to move cheaper, foreign workers from one EU country to another. The text should prevent abuses in order to avoid a posted worker to be exploited or deprived of all or part of the wages due to him. Four months before the European elections, the matter is however still highly sensitive. The Commission very much welcomes the general approach agreed by the Council on new rules to enforce the safeguards against social dumping laid down in the posted workers Directive. Ministers reached an overall compromise agreement on the two outstanding issues of the directive: ‐ national control measures (art.9) ‐ joint and several liability in subcontracting chains (art.12) Where the Council’s text says that only the direct subcontractor will be held liable, the Parliament’s report wanted responsibility from the entire chain of subcontractors. In addition, the agreement by EU member states proposes that sanctions be mandatory only in the construction sector, whereas the MEPs had agreed on a text making them obligatory in all sectors. NEXT STEPS: • •

14‐17 April: Last EP plenary session before the elections 22‐25 May: European Parliament elections

> Download the Council Press release: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/139997.pdf 02‐03: EU COMMISSION PROPOSES GUIDANCE FOR STATE INTERVENTION IN ELECTRICITY Renewable energy ‐ both wind and solar ‐ was for a long time a new technology that needed state intervention to develop. With technological progress, investment costs in solar panel falling and production expanding, many Member States have started a reform of their support schemes for renewables. The Communication gives guidance on how best to reform existing national support schemes for renewable energy.

At the same time, it looks at back‐up capacities for renewable energy: when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing, electricity must still be produced in sufficient quantities to deliver energy to consumers and keep the electricity grid stable. With the increase of renewable energy production, this becomes a challenge. It is for this reason that in several Member States, discussions take place on how to organize and finance back‐up‐capacities, for example coal and gas power plants which are flexible enough to be turned on and off whenever needed. The EU Communication sets out principles for state intervention (see our previous newsletter) What impacts have the proposed measures on Member States? The Communication published today is not a legally binding act. However, it does set out the main principles which the Commission will apply when assessing state interventions relating to renewable support schemes or capacity mechanisms. The principles set out in the Communication will guide the future enforcement of EU state aid rules and future proposals for EU energy legislation. More information: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/gas_electricity/internal_market_en.htm

02‐04: WEEE: IMPLEMENTATION BY MEMBER STATES BY 14 FEBRUARY 2014 New legislation on electronic waste (WEEE) will have to be implemented by Member States in February. The WEEE Directive of 4 July 2012 has been published in the Official Journal on 24 July 2012 and has to ensure that electrical and electronic equipment is better recycled. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 14 February 2014. They shall immediately communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions.

02‐05: CONSULTATION MEETING WITH COMMISSION ON A EUROPEAN LIGHTING STRATEGY DG CONNECT and DG ENERGY have jointly initiated the EU initiative to interlink more closely at the European level technology evolution and market development perspectives with EU policy and regulation in the area of energy efficient lighting, with particular emphasis on R&D, innovation, manufacturing and the wider introduction and deployment of LED‐based Solid State Lighting (SSL) in Europe. A consultation meeting is being organised in Brussels to present and discuss elements of an emerging EU initiative for a European Lighting Strategy. This consultation meeting follows up on 2 earlier Commission consultation events held in late 2013: -

a meeting on 1 October 2013 to review the progress made on key issues addressed by the SSL Green Paper "Lighting the Future" (COM(2011)899) since its publication 2 years ago a workshop on 10 December 2013 to discuss key issues for accelerating the deployment of SSL in European buildings

Please let us know asap, preferably before 30 January, whether you or another representative of your association is willing to attend the workshop to eschellekens@aie.eu

03_ Sector related news 03‐01: ITALY: NEW CAPACITY PAYMENT FINANCED BY RENEWABLES The Italian Stability Law 2014 has been published/enforced on the 27 December 2013. Article 99 of the Stability law foresees that fossil fuels will be financed by renewables. The article contains a new capacity payment for fossil fuels that will be funded "even with an adequate participation of different sources to the costs for maintaining the electricity system’s security". This decision results in a paradoxical outcome, as it means renewables will sustain the use of fossil fuels instead of progressively “replacing” them. Furthermore, this specific article could be seen as unconstitutional because its retrospective nature will involve already existing renewable energy installations. The Stability law is effective since 01 January 2014. Source: By Marie Latour, Head of Projects, EPIA

03‐02: HORIZON 2020: FIRST CALLS The European Commission published on 11 December 2013 the Horizon 2020 Work Programme for 2014‐ 2015. This Work Programme constitutes the first calls of Horizon 2020, which follows the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. The goal is to ensure Europe produces world‐class science, removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sectors to work together in delivering innovation. Horizon 2020 is open to everyone, with a simple structure that reduces red tape and time so participants can focus on what is really important. This approach makes sure new projects get off the ground quickly – and achieve results faster. Horizon 2020 is divided into different programme sections amongst which societal challenges. Under this programme, the work programme for "Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy" will be split into different focus areas such as energy efficiency, low carbon technologies, smart Cities & Communities. More information about the calls: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/wp/2014_2015/main/h2020‐wp1415‐ energy_en.pdf The new Work Programme is biannual (it was annual in FP7), running for the period 2014‐2015.

03‐03: ARCELORMITTAL DEVELOPS SOLAR ENVELOPE OF TOMORROW’S BUILDINGS Energy efficiency and how steel products contribute to it is receiving increasingly more attention: ArcelorMittal is developing a breakthrough range of energy‐producing constructional steels.

Our Maizières‐les‐Metz Research and Development (R&D) centre in France is co‐ordinating a new scientific project that is raising major interest in the world of construction: meet Phoster, or PHOtovoltaic STEel Roof. Announced in September 2013, the Phoster project aims to take the steels used in construction into a new league. Its goal is to develop steels which will serve as construction materials while producing energy at the same time. A prototype of a new universal solar steel roof envelope will be designed, manufactured, installed and monitored during the project's 48‐month timeframe. It will demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of the integration of the solar electricity generation function into an environmentally friendly steel‐based construction product. Thanks to this concept, Phoster has been recognised by the European Commission as part of their LIFE+ programme, which supports the development of the solar energy sector, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions related to the production of solar panels, and promotes recycling. Ten percent of all metal roof envelopes will be installed with solar panels by 2020, compared with the less than 0.5% today. This is set to permanently alter the construction market as we know it. While other major players are also looking into photovoltaic technologies, ArcelorMittal is at the forefront thanks to our expertise and choice of methodology. Source: Solaris, EPIA, January 2014

03‐04: AIE INFO: FROM PRODUCTS TO SYSTEMS: SEMINAR 4 FEBRUARY 2014 From products to systems: Saving more energy through EU policies A one‐day seminar arranged by ECEEE, in cooperation with CLASP Europe, Swedish Energy Agency and Fraunhofer ISI Venue: Representation of Baden‐Würtenberg to the EU. Rue Belliard 60‐62, Brussels. Date: 4 February 2014, 10.00–18.00, followed by a reception Saving energy requires that products consuming electricity and fuels are designed to be intrinsically more energy efficient. However, this is often not the only ‐ and sometimes not the primary ‐ way of maximising saving potentials in the area. The interaction of a product with the rest of the system or installation into which it is fitted plays an important role. This appears relatively obvious for a number of product categories such as building equipment, lighting installations and components of industrial systems. With the ascent of electronic and communication technologies, this is also increasingly true for many other products that become ‘smart’ and ‘networked’, and can be controlled through wider systems. When policies such as the Ecodesign Directive use a narrow product‐based view, products are considered irrespective of their surroundings and tested in standard conditions. Only their technical efficiency is encompassed. This approach is straightforward but misses the savings that can be expected from ensuring that the product is also correctly sized, fitted and controlled to render its service optimally in a well‐designed installation. While it may not be possible to envisage a fully‐

fledged regulation of systems under product policies, attempts have been made at finding creative ways for tackling at least a part of the savings. While system approaches remain subject to technical and legal uncertainties, they become increasingly important as the Ecodesign Directive is now moving towards ‘energy‐ related products’. The debate is still ongoing about whether systems (or part thereof) should be regulated under product policies such as Ecodesign or would be better tackled by an own piece of legislation. What are the potentials and conditions for successfully grasping energy efficiency in systems? Which sectors would be best candidates? Should additional pieces of legislation be considered to target higher energy savings? General Secretary Evelyne Schellekens will participate at this seminar on the 4th of February and AIE members are invited to join, if interested. > Read more: http://www.eceee.org/events/eceee_events/ecodesign‐seminar‐feb‐2014

03‐05 AIE LATEST MEMBERS ISSUES o

The AIE is very proud to join of the BUILD UP initiative as an official partner, following an invitation from the European Commission. Launched in 2009, BUILD UP is a European Commission initiative aiming to reduce the energy consumption of buildings across Europe. www.buildup.eu promotes the effective implementation of energy saving measures in buildings and offers free access to a wide range of information on best practices, technologies and legislation for energy reduction. Via the interactive BUILD UP web portal, building professionals, public authorities and building occupants across Europe can easily share experiences, knowledge and best practices.

General information about the BUILD UP initiative in your own language:

http://www.buildup.eu/communicationstools o

Education and training is and will continue to be a hot topic on the European scene for the construction sector and especially for the installers.

At the Council of Delegates 2013 the AIE suggested holding an internal inquiry on the training and skills needs/perspectives of the electrical contracting sector at national level so as to have an overall clear picture. Without going into detail on the content of national training schemes, the questions aim to provide an overview of the current situation and of training and education needs in the electrical contracting sector. The results will be shared at the next Council of Delegates 2014. o On the 13 December 2013 the liquidation of the CEETB was published in the Belgian Official Gazette.

04_ Future events http://www.aie.eu/aie/page/Events Please don’t forget to take a look on the AIE website for future AIE meetings in 2013.

04‐01 SAVE THE DATE(S) 2014: > Light and Building 2014 | Frankfurt – 30.3 – 04.4.2014

Light+Building is the world’s biggest trade fair for lighting and building‐services technology and presents solutions that cut the energy consumption of a building at the same time as increasing the level of comfort. At the fair, everything is represented, from LED technology, via photovoltaic and electro‐mobility, to intelligent electricity usages with smart metering and smart grids. Thanks to the combination of lighting and networked building‐services technology, the companies can present an integrated spectrum of products and services that make a decisive contribution to exploiting the energy‐saving potential of buildings to the full. The Policy Coordination Committee (PCC) as well as the Technical Task Force (TTF) will meet on the 1st of April within the fair of Light and Building in Frankfurt. The main theme at Light+Building is Energy Efficiency. > More info: http://light‐building.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/besucher/willkommen.html

04‐02 NEXT COUNCIL OF DELEGATES – PORTOROZ – SLOVENIA 11‐14 SEPTEMBER 2014 The next Council of Delegates will be warmly hosted by Slovenia from the 11th till the 14th of September 2014. We already give you a glance at some mighty views that you will get while visiting our Council of Delegates next autumn when temperatures in Portorož can still be in the 20 to 25 degrees… ☺

04‐03: EU UROSKILLS 2 2014 LILLE | FRANCE – 2 2‐4.10.2014 Preparationss have started d in the Frencch city of Lillee for the Euro oSkills 2014 co ompetition scheduled to t take plaace from 2 to 4 October O 2014 4! More info on: http://www.euroskills.orgg The AIE dele egates unaniimously apprroved duringg the EU Insttallers Summ mit at their statutory me eeting to joiin WorldSkillls Europe [W WSE] as ‘asso ociate memb ber’ and to integrate thee AIE CYE in th he WorldSkills Europe com mpetition fram mework. t AIE Secre etariat (info@ @aie.eu) or the Contact the WorldSkills Europe secretariat Gen neral Secretaary Thom te er Stege att (terstege@ @euroskills.orrg) should yo ou wish contaact details on n your nation nal Skills team m.

> More e event news?? Double che eck: Other EEuropean events

05_ Pu ublicationss – check n new AIE an nd related publications at our liibrary on ISSSUU In November last year two internal AIE publicattions ‘AIE Dire ectory and AIIE Technical G Guideline’ we ere distribute ed to the Gen neral Secretarries and the P Policy Coordin nation Committee. Both do ocuments can n be download ded via the Members Onlyy page. European A Association of Electrical Contracctors “ELECTRICITTY SURROUNDS US – TOUCHES EVERY ONE OF US, EVERY DAY,, EVERYWHERE. Who we arre: The AIE – the t European Association A of ele ectrical contractting companies - represents thrrough its 20 nattional member associationss about 175,000 specialist contra acting companiess employing abou ut 1,000,000 worrkers in the EU-ccountries and be eyond. The AIE represents companies c from all sizes, the big g majors and a majority m of small and medium sizze enterprises [S SME]. AIE memb ber companies have an in-depth knowledge and high-quallity expert skills to carry out all kind of electrica al engineering and a infrastructure e works [high, d low voltage]. Th he overall turnovver of the sector is approximately 75 billion Euros.. medium and Monitoring the t EU agenda/Directives releva ant for the electrical sector, the AIE points out the key strategies and main prriorities for the modern electrical contracto or. With the incrreasing complexxity of technicall installations, th he private consumer and housse owners are becoming more m and more dependent d on the e knowledge and d creativity of th he electrical conttractor. He is an expert adviser who is able to explain to th he client the pos ssibilities and ad dvantages of new technology in a technical and d environmental way. Kindly visit our website: www.aie.eu or contact us at info@aie.eu.