Concrete Perspectives September 2014

Construction Sector

  • On 24 September, the European Parliament’s Environmental Committee gave its support to the European Commission’s proposal of carbon leakage list 2015-2019. In its proposal, published in May 2014, the Commission plans to give carbon allowances to heavy industries for free (amongst others, cement), in order to maintain industrial competitiveness.The Parliament’s own initiative report aimed at charging companies for CO2 emissions, and claimed that some sectors that are not at all exposed to the risk of carbon leakage are also included in the list of sectors who receives free allowances. The Committee however rejected its proposal and supported the original proposal of the European Commission.

European Parliament – Press Release

CEMBUREAU’s answer to the Public Consultation on Carbon capture and storage

CEMBUREAU Low carbon econmy Roadmap- Carbon Sequestration and Reuse

CCS Directive interim report highlights challenges (CEMBUREAU website)

  • The European Concrete Platform submitted an answer to the European Commission’s survey “Which materials for sustainable construction.

European Concrete Platform- Positions

  • CEMBUREAU’s Quarterly Economic Report was published in September.

CEMBUREAU Quarterly Economic Report

  • CEMBUREAU published an Open Letter to the newly elected European Parliament and share its views on four top priorities: competitiveness, carbon leakage, energy and the circular economy.

CEMBUREAU’s Open Letter to the EP

  • The International Energy Agency released a new study on “Capturing the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency”. The study states that the European Union doesn’t do enough to secure energy supply and underestimates the value of energy efficiency. The study also claims that energy efficiency only relates to energy saving among consumers. However, energy efficiency also leads to macro-economic growth, long-term climate protection and greater energy security.

International Energy Agency: Publications

Live from the European Union

EU’s industrial competitiveness report published

The European Commission published two reports on industrial competitiveness on 11 September 2014. The reports concludes that he manufacturing industries have huge potential for economic growth and industrial competitiveness, however, in order to being able to leverage this potential, the EU and Member States must address urgently issues such as investment, access to finance, public administration, access to foreign markets, innovation and energy prices.

European Commission – Press Release

European Competitiveness Report 2014

Member States’ Competitiveness Report 2014: Reindustrializing Europe

EU opens public consultation on Small Business Act

The European Commission opened a public consultation on “Small Business Act (SBA)”. The Commission aims at indentifying what small and medium sized enterprises need from future EU policy to ensure that the updated SBA will fit for future challenges. BIBM is preparing answer to the consultation which runs for 12 weeks, closing on 15 December 2014.
European Commission – Public Consultation SBA

News in brief

Agenda

OCTOBER

6-7 October 2014

ECP Task Force Fire and Eurocodes

Brussels, Belgium

8 October 2014

ECP Task Force Sustainable Concrete

Brussels, Belgium

10 October 2014

Technical Commission

Brussels, Belgium

17 October 2014

CPE – TG Implementation of the CPR

Brussels, Belgium

POSTPONED! (date to be confirmed)

22 October 2014

H&S Committee and webinar

Brussels, Belgium

22 October 2014

CPE – TG Dangerous Substances

Brussels, Belgium

27 October 2014

The Concrete Initiative – Thematic Lunch on recycling concrete

Brussels, Belgium

29 October 2014

Environmental Commission

Brussels, Belgium

NOVEMBER

18 November 2014

CPE – CPR WG meeting

Brussels, Belgium

21 November 2014

CPE – Sustainable WG meeting

Brussels, Belgium

26 November 2014 (tbc)

The Concrete Initiative – Launch in the Parliament

Strasbourg, France

DECEMBER

2 December 2014

BIBM General Assembly

Brussels, Belgium

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List of Acronyms

CPE- Construction Product Europe

CPR- Construction Products Regulation

ECP- European Concrete Platform