EU Energy Policy

The European Commission presented on January 10, 2007 its roadmap for “An Energy Policy for Europe”. The communication includes a whole set of documents on issues such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, the internal market on energy and energy infrastructure.

A careful analysis of the EU Energy Strategy by the Craft and SME sector has shown that SMEs are affected by this plan in different ways:

• SMEs suffer from inefficient competition in the energy sector,
• SMEs can deliver effectively on energy efficiency, and
• SMEs can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emission and dependency from fossil energy.

Crafts and SMEs in Europe support the aims and the main targets of a new European Energy Policy, but ask all institutions at European and national level to take into account more carefully the needs of SMEs and the challenges SMEs will have to face such concrete measures to achieve these targets.

Position papers

• October 2007: UEAPME comments on “Energising Europe: A real market with secure supply”, the third legislative package on energy markets


• October 2007: Overview of the problems faced by micro and small businesses when applying the concept of eco-efficiency, including energy efficiency (updated)


• July 2007: The effects of new policies on energy efficiency and renewables on SMEs as providers of specialist engineering services


• April 2007: A successful “Energy Policy for Europe” must meet the needs of Crafts and SMEs

Press releases

• 09/06/08: Energy package: Luxembourg deal a bow to monopolistic national champions

• 23/01/08: Climate change and energy package: mixed results for SMEs

• 25/10/07: SMEs are not willing to pay for energy giants’ extra profits any more

• 19/09/07: EC plan for energy sector shake-up lacks clout on regulation

• 12/07/07: Parliament report stops short of promoting a functioning energy market

• 24/04/07: EU energy policy must tame energy giants and unleash market potential

• 09/03/07: Spring Summit conclusions lack of substance on energy policy and structural reforms

• 14/02/07: An efficient energy internal market is key to SMEs’ competitiveness auch verfügbar auf Deutsch

• 10/01/07: EC roadmap on energy is an ambitious but much needed step forward auch verfügbar auf Deutsch

• 04/12/06: New UEAPME President Georg Toifl outlines priorities for his mandate auch verfügbar auf Deutsch

News and other documents

• 07/05/08: UEAPME background note for the hearing on the "Impact of ongoing development of energy markets on industrial value chains in Europe" at the European Economic and Social Committee

• 14/02/07: President Toifl addresses Parliament's SME Intergroup on energy