EC adopts new Environmental and Energy State Aid Guidelines

On 9 April 2014, the European Commission adopted the new Environmental and Energy State Aid Guidelines (EEAG) for the period up to 2020. The guidelines promote a gradual move to market-based support for renewable energy in order to address the market distortions related to subsidies granted to renewable energy sources (RES).

Furthermore, the EEAG allow reducing the burden of RES charges for a list of energy-intensive sectors identified on the basis of their trade and electro intensity. These provisions are essential for the competitiveness of the industry as RES charges represent an increasing proportion of the energy bill.

The list of eligible sectors includes the clay tile and brick industry. It also includes the following ceramic sub-sectors: wall & floor tiles, refractories, sanitaryware, clay pipes and ceramic insulators. Highly electro-intensive companies from other sectors can also be eligible.

The full text of the new EEAG is available here.

The European Ceramic Industry Association Cerame-Unie, of which TBE is a full member, replied to the public consultation on the EEAG in February 2014. CU's reply can be downloaded in PDF here.

TBE PCR for clay construction products

Thanks to the technical input of the members and the support of an external consultant, TBE has developed the Product Category Rules (PCR) for clay bricks, blocks, roof tiles and pavers. These PCR establish a set of specific rules and guidelines for reporting the environmental performance of clay construction products in the form of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

EPDs are a standardised way to communicate the environmental impact of a product on the basis of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. EPDs can be used for different purposes. For instance, designers are often requesting EPDs of construction products to be used as input for assessing the environmental performance of buildings.

In 2012, TBE identified the lack of harmonised PCR for the development of EPDs for clay construction products. With a common PCR, EPDs developed at national and/or European level will be based on the same guidelines and similar assumptions. The TBE PCR for clay construction products is based on the European horizontal harmonised standard EN 15804, which was developed in CEN/TC 350 “Sustainability of construction works”.

In addition to the TBE PCR, a guidance document summarising the basic principles of the PCR has been developed. It also provides guidelines about the input and output data that need to be collected before conducting the LCA study. 


Ceramic Industry Manifesto 2014-2019

On the occasion of the European elections, Cerame-Unie published its Manifesto for the 2014-2019 Parliamentary mandate. To read the Manifesto in French, German, Dutch, Spanish or Italian, please click here. 

Manufacturing and SME-driven sectors like ceramics are the backbone of the European economy and key drivers of growth and jobs. The recent crisis has underlined the importance of the manufacturing economy and has confirmed that a strong industrial base is of key importance for Europe’s recovery.

EU institutions and national governments should therefore ensure a supportive and predictable policy environment to facilitate the EU’s reindustrialisation. This can only be achieved if industrial competitiveness is prioritised across all policy areas and tangible measures are implemented to achieve the goal of increasing industry’s share of GDP to 20% by 2020.

The European elections present a crucial opportunity to reassess and improve Europe’s regulatory framework. Having seen the effect of EU legislation on the ceramic industry and on European citizens, we offer practical recommendations to policymakers to be carried forward into the next mandate. 

MEPs are welcome to join the European Parliament Ceramics Forum. Find out more on the EPCF website. 

Our policy recommendations

CLIMATE & ENERGY

1. Assess EU climate objectives in light of international negotiations

2. Retain and improve measures on carbon leakage beyond 2020 under the EU ETS

3. Restore the global competitiveness of EU energy prices

ENVIRONMENT & CONSTRUCTION

4. Integrate the three pillars of sustainability into EU legislation

5. Promote lifecycle thinking when addressing resource efficiency

6. Avoid the duplication of EU legislation and reduce administrative burdens

RESEARCH & ACCESS TO FINANCE

7. Support access to finance and investments in Research & Innovation

TRADE & INTERNAL MARKET

8. Foster market access for European companies in third countries

9. Ensure fair competition at international level

10. Strengthen market surveillance to properly protect and inform consumers

2030 Climate & Energy Framework, Industrial Renaissance and energy prices

On 22 January 2014 the European Commission presented three communications on the 2030 climate & energy framework, industrial renaissance and energy prices. The latter was accompanied by a report on energy prices and costs for some energy-intensive sectors, including the ceramic sectors of bricks & roof tiles and wall & floor tiles.

USEFUL EUROPEAN COMMISSION LINKS AND DOCUMENTS

EC report confirms challenge of high energy prices for ceramic industry

On 22 January 2014 the European Commission presented three communications on the 2030 climate and energy framework, industrial renaissance and energy prices. The latter was accompanied by a report on energy prices and costs for some energy-intensive sectors, including the ceramic sectors of bricks & roof tiles and wall & floor tiles. To prepare this document, the European Commission used a study developed by CEPS, to which the ceramic industry actively contributed in 2013 by providing data and figures as required by the consultant. Cerame-Unie, the European Ceramic Industry Association of which TBE is a member, has prepared a summary with the main findings for the ceramic industry. 

The report shows that natural gas prices for European ceramic companies have increased by around 30% between 2010 and 2012 and they are four times higher than in Russia and more than three times higher than in the USA. Similarly, electricity costs may be more than two times higher in the EU than in the USA and Russia. Such figures clearly confirm that energy, which represents around 30% of production costs in the ceramic sector, is a crucial element for the competitiveness of our industry.

Figures collected in the report also show that energy prices for European ceramic manufacturers are up to 28% higher than for other EU-based energy intensive sectors for gas, and up to 159% higher for electricity, which is largely due to the fact that the ceramic sector is mainly composed of SMEs. 

CEOs from TBE member companies sign IFIEC Manifesto

On 27 February IFIEC Europe, the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers, published a Manifesto calling for the 2030 strategy to be streamlined towards growth and jobs. The Manifesto was signed by over 130 CEOs from Europe's manufacturing industry including several CEOs from TBE member companies. It was presented at a press conference held at the Hotel Silken Berlaymont in Brussels. 

IFIEC Manifesto

Press release

List of CEOs

Delegated act on DoPs on websites published in Official Journal of the EU

On 21 February 2014 the delegated act to supply Declaration of Performances (DoPs) on the websites of manufacturers of construction products was finally published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

From now on, the manufacturers of construction products can supply the DoPs through their websites instead of supplying them in paper form or by electronic means (e.g. email, fax, QR-code, etc).

Please follow this link to see the final delegated act.

This document provides the rules for placing DoPs on websites.

Please find below a summary of the delegated act:

  • The delegated act does not derogate article 7(2) of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). Hence, the manufacturer shall supply the DoP in paper form if the recipient requests it.
  • The manufacturer and other stakeholders in the construction chain have the same responsibilities as before. The delegated act covers the ways in which the document can be supplied.
  • Manufacturers cannot alter the DoP once it is placed on the website and it must be accessible for at least 10 years after the construction product has been made available on the market.
  • Manufacturers need to constantly monitor their website to ensure that the DoPs are always available to the recipients.
  • Manufacturers shall provide instructions to the recipients on how to access the online DoP.
  • Manufacturers shall make sure that each product is linked to a given DoP by means of the unique identification code of the product-type.
  • The website must be free of charge.

2013 TBE Congress, Moscow

In October 2013 TBE members gathered in Moscow for the annual TBE Congress meetings. Around 100 members participated in technical and social meetings, which resulted in a very successful two-day event. 

The meetings started on Thursday 3 October with our combined masonry and roof tile product group meeting, where experts from national associations and companies had the opportunity to discuss the latest initiatives on standardisation, legislation and other technical issues. Members then took part in the masonry and roof tile product group meetings which were held separately. The working day finished with the meeting of the Executive Committee.

The evening programme took place at the cultural and entertainment complex Kremlin in Izmailovo, where members gathered for a gala dinner accompanied by traditional Russian music and ballet.

The General Assembly was held in the morning of 4 October at the hotel Borodino. After discussing administrative and financial items, the conveners of the TBE working groups reported on the activities undertaken in the last year. The members also had the opportunity to discuss the most important challenges ahead, namely the revision of the carbon leakage list, the finalisation of the Product Category Rules (PCRs) for clay construction materials and the 2014 World Sustainable Building Conference in Barcelona.

The meeting was followed by a series of presentations given by guest speakers: Mr Loschenko, President of the National Association of Construction Industry; Mr Schauff, CEO of the Association of European Businesses in the Russian Federation; Mr Gavrilov, CEO of the Russian Association of manufacturers of ceramic wall materials; Mr Bindenman, Russian architect. The official meetings were closed with the presentation of certificates of sponsorship.

Members staying in Moscow through Friday afternoon and the weekend had the opportunity to attend further social activities and to visit some of Moscow’s beauties, such as the Red Square and the Kremlin.

2012 Affordable and energy-efficient buildings stakeholder workshop

Financing energy-efficient buildings: How the EU can contribute to affordable housing

INTRODUCTION

Access to affordable housing is a social priority, as housing is recognised as a right of European citizens in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. At the same time, investments in housing contribute to the achievement of EU climate targets, as the building sector represents 40% of the total energy demand.

Within the debate on the future EU cohesion policy, the workshop offered an interesting opportunity for policy-makers and stakeholders to discuss the challenge of affordable and energy-efficient housing. In this field, the EU can play a major role through a consistent regulatory framework and better access to financial resources, including the ERDF.

This Stakeholder Workshop has also been included in the programme of the OPEN DAYS 2012 side events.

Over 100 manufacturers from associations across Europe and representatives of the European Institutions participated in the enriching discussions.

SPEAKERS

    Thanks again to the speakers for a very successful event:

    MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz (Host),  Paul Jeffrey, Ecorys UK;  Stephen Duffy, European Commission, DG Regional Policy; MEP Lambert Van Nistelrooij, Vice-President European Parliament Urban intergroup; Heimo Scheuch, TBE President; Antonio Paparella, European Commission, DG Enterprise; Paul Hodson, European Commission, DG Energy; Claire Roumet, CECODHAS (Chair)

    2012 Near Zero-Energy Buildings workshop

    The road to near zero-energy buildings: Best practice cases in the housing sector

    INTRODUCTION

    This second workshop is included in the programme of the 2012 European Sustainable Energy Week.  

    Objectives

    Sustainability and energy efficiency are two of the most important aspects of construction, both for new build and retrofits. To realise our vision of healthy, energy-efficient and sustainable buildings that are both attractive and affordable, we need to look at the best examples and discuss how these may be used for future project developments. So in this half-day workshop, participants will discuss how the nearly zero energy building objectives will be implemented in different countries. They will exchange ideas on best practices, from products to architectural projects. We will understand how national initiatives are trying to achieve the EU targets. Last but not least, participants will hear from the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) rapporteur, Mr Claude Turmes, on how the EED may drive the EU energy efficiency policy across the EU. Mr Claude Turmes is a Member of the European Parliament for Luxembourg's Green Party and rapporteur for the Energy Efficiency Directive, COM (2011)370.

    WHO ATTENDED

    This workshop was attended by manufacturers, trade associations representatives, CEN officials, students and architects. 

    PRESENTATIONS

    After MEP Claude Turmes' enlightening and dynamic introduction, eight presentations were made during the workshop, one by Mrs Jessica Johnson, followed by Mr Oliver Loebel, Mr Alexander Lehmdem, Mrs Isabelle Dorgeret, Mr Simon Hay, Mr Benoit Thielemans and Mrs Zsuzsa Tóth. 

    Check out the pictures and the album.

    Thank you again to the speakers for a very successful event.

    TBE is a Build Up partner.

     

    Looking for something?