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1 Monica Frassoni President of the European Alliance to Save Energy (EU ASE) Square de Meeus, 22 A 1050 Brussels (Belgium) Dear President Van Rompuy, Dear Prime Minister Samaras, [email protected] To the kind attention of Herman Van Rompuy President of the European Council Antonis Samaras Prime Minister of Greece In copy to: Permanent Representations of the 28 Members States to the EU José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament Members of the ITRE/ENVI Committees of the European Parliament Delivering European competitiveness through cost-effective energy efficiency Brussels, 18 March 2014 At the forthcoming European Council you will be discussing how to improve European competiveness and the Commission s proposals for a 2030 energy and climate change package. We believe that the European debate should not be framed as if there is a choice between competitiveness and taking action on climate change. The business community represented by the European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE) believes this is a false choice. By improving energy efficiency Europe can drive forward its competiveness, energy security and climate change objectives. Europe could save 1 trillion - 2 trillion from by taking advantage of existing cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities. At a time of austerity it is a shame that these savings are not being made. Delivering these energy efficiency savings will generate jobs across all Member States, radically reduce energy import costs and increase manufacturing investment in the EU. In addition, taking action on energy efficiency would reduce European dependence on imported energy. Addressing gas import dependency needs coordinated European solutions that will not be delivered without real effort. Cost-effective efficiency opportunities are under-exploited by companies and consumers because of entrenched market, government, regulatory and financial failures.

2 These barriers will only be removed through a concerted effort to drive economic and market reforms at Member State and European level. Strong goals and measures at European level will be crucial in helping deliver these reforms. The European Council must set a new competitiveness objective that all possible cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities should be exploited by The weak goals set for energy efficiency in the Commission s White Paper are disappointing. However, the number of countries who support stronger action on energy efficiency as a central part of the 2030 energy and climate package is growing. This includes the recent joint statement by the French and German governments calling on the European Commission to develop proposals for binding energy efficiency targets and measures, and make available new financing instruments to support energy efficiency. We, the undersigned, hope that you will support these conclusions at the forthcoming European Council which would drive forward ambitious action on energy efficiency, including: That energy efficiency is fundamental to European competitiveness and must be the foundation of future energy and climate policy. That Europe cannot afford to leave cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities unexploited. Asking the European Commission to develop new proposals for binding energy efficiency goals and measures by October We are strong supporters of ambitious, binding legislation for 2030 and believe that this can only be positive for the economic, social and environmental good of European businesses and citizens. We urge you to consider our point of view and to provide a level playing field for all the business groups involved in this debate. Yours sincerely, Monica Frassoni President European Alliance to Save Energy Harry Verhaar Global Head of Public and Government Affairs Philips Lighting Tony Robson Knauf Insulation

3 Claude Breining Head of European Affairs & Standardization Strategy Schneider Electric Nick Mabey E3G Niels Bjorn Christansen Danfoss Johannes Meier European Climate Foundation Manlio Valdés President Europe, Middle East, India & Africa Ingersoll Rand Climate Solutions Gene Murtagh Kingspan Catia Bastioli President Kyoto Club Alex Laskey President and Co-founder Opower Sumir Karayi 1E Martin Schaer Vice President Senior Advisor to the Management Board Siemens Building Technologies Division Patrick Deconinck Senior Vice President West Europe 3M Manon Janssen CEO & Managing Director Ecofys

4 Chris Van Bellegem Director Shared Services ETAP Lighting Paola Beduini LAPE HD srl Agostino Renna President and CEO GE Lighting EMEA Jens Moberg Group Chairman Grundfos Dennis Quinn Chief Operating Officer and co-founder Joule Assets Inc. Gian Carlo Magnoli Bocchi Mission Carbon Zero Kari Lehtinen Paroc Group Oy Meiny Prins Priva Gilles Maria CFO Rockwool International A/S Willi Roll President Sager AG, Dämmstoffe Emmanuel Normant Saint-Gobain Isover George Polk Managing Director Tulum Trust

5 Thomas Reynaert President UTIO Europe United Technologies Corporation Miguel Veiga-Pestana Vice President Global External Affairs Unilever Christian Michel Managing Director URSA Insulation Ingrid Reumert Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability VELUX A/S Leif Frilund Walki

6 An initiative by with the support of