After the success of the first EUREKA Roadshow in Italy in 2017 and the flagship EUREKA 2016 conference in The Hague and EUREKA 2017 in Berlin, EVIA and EPEE elected to bring the EUREKA concept to Romania in 2018.
The event was sponsored by CAREL, Climalife, Emerson Climate Technologies and Johnson Controls.Welcome support was provided by the General Association of Refrigeration in Romania (AGFR) and the Romanian Association of Installation Engineers (AIIR).
“EPEE and EVIA remain committed to ensuring that the HVACR industry in every EU Member State are prepared to maximise the potential of new technologies to deliver energy efficient products that fully meet the expectations of future consumers”, stated the Director General of EPEE, Andrea Voigt.
Joan Miro Ramos, Chairman of the EVIA, and Juergen Goeller, President of EPEE highlighted the significance of Romania as host of the Roadshow in respect to its forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU, with a focus on helping to lay the foundations for energy efficiency, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and connectivity as priorities for the next European Commission.
Participants discussed how the HVACR sector can simultaneously meet the demands to deliver on sustainability and climate change priorities, whilst embracing the possibilities offered by digitalisation. They agreed that foresight is essential to link new policy discussions to the HVACR sector to ensure that connectivity is regulated in line with the sectors specific requirements. Proactivity is also key to think ahead, to not stand still and to lay the foundations for the next round of policy measures and standards to ensure the long term sustainability of the HVACR sector.
Many of the issues identified by speakers and participants highlighted the need to find creative solutions to old problems. Effective implementationof the EU legislation remains a hindrance to achieving policy ambitions. Reinforcing dialogue between stakeholders and authorities is essential to harmonising understandings of the F-Gas Regulation that among other objectives prevent the illegal import of refrigerants. The revised EPBD will also require stronger dialogue between European and national associations, and the Member States with a view to delivering coherent national Energy Performance in Buildings (EPB) standards, which take a flexible, technology neutral approach to delivery and fully integrate Life Cycle Cost Assessments.Compliance, is now also a political priority at the EU level, but more must be done to bolster national market surveillance authorities.
Russell Patten, Secretary General of EVIA, concluded “In partnership EVIA and EPEE with the vital support of our national partners strive to provide the foresight and proactivity to lay the foundations for the HVACR sectors future and facilitates commitment from the industry. As we continue to address old challenges and engage with new ones EUREKA will remain a strategic forum to create common positions”.
In 2019 the flagship EUREKA summit will take place in Bruges, Belgium, on 11-12 June with a focus on how the HVACR sector can harness the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
