EU Support Schemes

The European Commission has set a series of indicative Green Public Procurement guidelines for various products (thermal insulation among them). These guidelines establish criteria to be followed, on a voluntary basis, by European public authorities when purchasing products.

Eurima favours the adoption of Green Public Procurement guidelines for public authorities in the EU provided that they are based on sound science and non-discriminatory criteria which respects life-cycle analysis and the work being developed by the EU standardisation competent bodies (CEN TC 350).

Eurima favours the adoption of guidelines for green public procurement, as long as they do not give priority to certain products in an unscientific and arbitrary way. Therefore, the GPP criteria need to be consistent with the work being done by CEN TC 350 and to take a full LCA approach.

The guidelines for Green Public Procurement for thermal insulation products were published by DG Environment of the European Commission on 16 July 2010.  http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/index_en.htm

To reduce industrial CO2 emissions by setting a cap and creating a trade system to seek the most cost-effective reduction.

It sets the framework under which national authorities can allocate CO2 emissions. When these allocations are low the company has to buy additional allowances (expected price €20/tonne CO2). If the company emits less than its allowances, it can sell its unused allowances on the market.

Eurima has actively negotiated the benchmark for the mineral wool sector with the Commission. In the end, the result was satisfactory for all parties.
A dossier is now in preparation for eventual application under the leakage rules.

Publication took place in Spring 2011.  As from 2013, the market starts for 20% of the emissions going up to zero free allowances in 2013. http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/index_en.htm