Brussels, 26 February 2025: The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE), representing manufacturing companies and associations operating in the refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump (RACHP) industry in Europe, welcomes the publication of the Clean Industrial Deal (CID) and the Action Plan for Affordable Energy.

“Now is the time for the Commission to recognize the strategic importance of the RACHP industry”, said Russell Patten, Director General. “Our products are a key solution provider for the decarbonization of heating and cooling and an important contributor to energy security.”

The Action Plan for Affordable Energy provides a good step in the right direction. The upcoming recommendation to Member States on how to lower taxation levels in electricity, the proposal for an EU guarantee scheme on energy efficiency services and the social leasing on heat pumps will help to send a positive incentive towards efficient technologies. Moreover, EPEE is looking forward to the Heating and Cooling Strategy in Q1 2026, which should be launched as soon as possible.

Our technologies are market-ready but they still face strong challenges to their deployment – as seen with the market slowdown since 2023. The CID is the opportunity to address those barriers by setting a coherent EU legislative framework and legal certainty and ensuring that installers have access to the proper training to support the market uptake. As acknowledged in the CID, advancing towards electrification will be crucial for the future of clean and efficient energy.

“Our industry fully supports the renewed ambition to phase out fossil fuel subsidies”, added Patten. “Heat pumps can and will drive economic and environmental success while slashing natural gas dependence and ensuring our democracy and security.