VDKF and EPEE agree closer ties

GERMANY: VDKF, the German contractors association, and EPEE, the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment, has agreed reciprocal membership with the intention to work more closely together.

With topics such as the F-gas regulation, PFAS ban, Ecodesign directives affecting both EPEE and VDKF members, reciprocal membership is seen as logical and expedient. 

“Many regulations that influence the work of refrigeration and air conditioning specialists in Germany are pan-European requirements. Through our cooperation with EPEE, whose representatives are well-connected in Brussels, we will be even earlier and better informed in the future, enabling us to prepare our members for changes in a timely manner,” said VDKF MD Marcel Rehder.

“The importance of refrigeration and air conditioning technology is often overlooked by politicians, ministries, and the media. Only together can we make our industry more heard at the national and European levels,” added VDKF president Karl-Heinz Thielmann. 

Christoph Brauneis, the VDKF’s officer for politics and media, will take over the committee work for the VDKF at EPEE.

“EPEE very much welcomes the cooperation with VDKF, as it strengthens EPEE’s network at the national EU level, which has a decisive voice in Brussels,” commented EPEE president Andrea Vallejo.

“Germany is an important market for the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump industries, and we are stronger through our partnership with the VDKF,” added EPEE director general Russell Patten.