The European Union (EU) is committed to secure the supply of energy and ensure that energy prices remain stable, urging its Members States to be energy efficient.

In this respect, the European Commission adopted the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). The EED sets up a common framework of measures for the promotion of energy efficiency within the EU-28 in order to ensure the achievement of the Union’s 2020 targets to reduce energy consumption by 20%. In particular, article 7 and article 8 of the EED compel each EU country to establish an energy efficiency obligation scheme and to promote energy audits and energy management systems, respectively. Member States had to notify by 5 December 2013 their plans, proposed measures and detailed methodologies for the implementation. As early as last month –concretely by 5 June– most of the provisions of the EED had to be implemented by the Member States.

Moreover, the EU has further strengthened its commitment after the political crisis in Ukraine. In fact, on 21 May 2014, the European Commission hosted a high-level conference on Energy Security, in which representatives from Member States, non-EU governments –including members of companies, regulators, associations and think-tanks relevant to the energy sector– and personalities such as the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the Commissioner for Energy, Günther H. Oettinger, attended to discuss ways to cut down the EU’s dependence on energy.
Andreas Gürtler, Foundation Director of the European Industrial Insulation Foundation (EiiF), was invited to the conference and contributed with a clear and concise presentation on minimising energy loss in industrial processes by sustainable insulation solutions in EU industry.

Following the conference, an EU energy security strategy based on an in-depth study of Member States' energy dependence was released by the European Commission.

According to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on 28 May 2014 about the European Energy Security Strategy, Members States should “speed up measures to achieve the 2020 energy efficiency target, focusing on heating and insulation in particular in buildings and industry”.

Such a context leads to great perspectives for industrial insulation. The obligations to be carried out and the necessity of being energy efficient give cause for a market demand for energy audits –such as TIPCHECK– and the opportunity to promote industrial insulation as one of the most cost-attractive Best Available Techniques to save energy offering rapid payback and multiple benefits.