EC needs to recognise importance of RACHP
26th February 2025
EUROPE: The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) has called on the European Commission to recognise the strategic importance of the RACHP industry.
Speaking following today’s publication of the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal (CID) and the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, EPEE director general Russell Patten said: “Our products are a key solution provider for the decarbonisation of heating and cooling and an important contributor to energy security.”
The Clean Industrial Deal (CID) seeks to accelerate decarbonisation, while securing the future of manufacturing in Europe. Its attendant Affordable Energy Action Plan intends to lower energy costs, completing the energy union, attract investments and prepare for potential energy crises.
EPEE describes the Action Plan for Affordable Energy as a “good step in the right direction”, praising the upcoming recommendation to member states on how to lower taxation levels in electricity, the proposal for an EU guarantee scheme on energy efficiency services and the social leasing on heat pumps.
The group also looks forward to the Heating and Cooling Strategy in Q1 2026, which, it says, “should be launched as soon as possible”.
“Our technologies are market-ready, but they still face strong challenges to their deployment – as seen with the market slowdown since 2023,” EPEE said in a press statement. “The CID is the opportunity to address those barriers by setting a coherent EU legislative framework and legal certainty and ensuring that installers have access to the proper training to support the market uptake. As acknowledged in the CID, advancing towards electrification will be crucial for the future of clean and efficient energy.”
Russell Patten added: “Our industry fully supports the renewed ambition to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. Heat pumps can and will drive economic and environmental success while slashing natural gas dependence and ensuring our democracy and security.”