BEAMA calls for sustained UK commitment to aligned EU energy policy

Published:  20 September, 2016

BEAMA has warned the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee that a divergence of framework policies between the EU and the UK can have serious implications affecting investor confidence, energy bills, carbon emissions and a single market approach to placing products on the EU market.

Responding to the Select Committee’s Post Brexit inquiry, BEAMA has referenced a number of framework directives including Energy Performance of Buildings, Renewable Energy and Energy Related Products as ‘game changers’ that have significant long term investment and product development implications that should not be diluted within the terms of Brexit.

BEAMA chief executive Dr Howard Porter, said: “Aside from the obvious market signals that building and energy targets can provide to investors, we must not forget that pan-EU product standardisation, intellectual property registration and rules for placing equipment on the market actually make manufacturing processes more efficient within the single market framework.”

Dr Porter also supports the principle of freedom of movement of people, stating that there is a very real engineering education gap that will eventually be addressed through the apprenticeship levy but in the meantime we need the freedom of movement of expertise to help the UK meet its energy priorities.