A team from EGGA – Galvanizing Europe – has held a very constructive meeting with the SolarPower Europe staff, at their Brussels HQ, to explore common policy positions and map our future cooperation. EGGA has joined SolarPower Europe to strengthen collaboration with a vital net zero technology where batch galvanized steel provides long-term durability of the mounting structures for solar PV systems. We have many dossiers to work on together – most notably the Commission proposal for the Net Zero Industry Act. It is important that the entire supply chain for the complete solar PV system is considered as a net zero technology under this proposed Act. The supply chain for the mounting structures is increasingly threatened by ‘carbon leakage’ through import of structures from third countries. We have an experienced and quality-driven steel fabrication and galvanizing sector in the EU that is ready to support the wider deployment of solar PV technology…but our connected supply chain also needs to be considered as strategically important alongside modules and other parts of the system.
We will make a strong contribution to the workstreams of SolarPower Europe and the vital sector that it represents! Thanks to the SolarPower Europe team – Dries Acke, Daniela Blažejová, Emma Dominici, Carmen Correas López for the excellent discussions and Carola Hermoso (Chair – EGGA Environmental & Safety Committee) for her support (and bringing the perspectives of the Spanish galvanizing sector to the meeting!)
Construction 2050 Alliance
EGGA is a member of the Construction 2050 Alliance - the recently established business network of more than 40 European organisations in the construction sector with the aim to cooperate on needs and priorities of common interest and bring them on a EU level. The Alliance has a common position on the role of the construction industry within the European Recovery Plans and the Renovation Wave.
Construction 2050 Alliance has organised a webinar to emphasise the importance of construction and infrastructure in the national COVID-19 Recovery Plans.
Construction 2050 Alliance has been established on the principle that a sustainable Europe cannot be achieved without the involvement of all actors of the construction process. In order to bring the EU construction industry’s needs and priorities at the EU level, the Construction 2050 Alliance aims at coordinating common political messages of the construction value chain and raise the political importance of the sector at the European level.
Construction 2050 Alliance is confident that enhancing the way construction operates will lead to an improvement in the lives of European citizens, higher value with fewer natural resources, and higher quality assets for owners and users. It is on the basis of these considerations that the Construction 2050 Alliance’s framework follows these principles:
A specific targeted approach to construction because the sector is at the crossroads of different value chains and its unique nature requires a unique approach
An adaptable policy framework to address the evolving construction ecosystem and the transformation of the industry
A holistic approach towards policy making in order to implement coherent and balanced policies and legislation.
A strong partnership between the European institutions, the Member States and construction social partners and stakeholders to steer the transformation of the sector with the most adequate policies and tools
Postponement of Intergalva 2021 to 2022
We hope that you are all keeping safe and well at this difficult time. The personal health of our worldwide galvanizing community is on our minds. Intergalva is widely known as an excellent business networking event and we value very much our personal contacts with everyone.
Knowing that our valued international delegates and exhibitors need time to plan their participation and with much uncertainty on the future situation, we have already made the decision to postpone Intergalva 2021 until 2022.
To clarify the situation at the moment:
The next Intergalva conference and exhibition will be held during the first half of 2022. We have not yet fixed a precise date.
Intergalva 2022 will be held in Italy, but we are looking at options in other host Italian cities apart from Verona.
An announcement on exact dates and choice of host city will be made before the end of 2020.
Look out for some interim Intergalva virtual events to keep us talking until we can meet in 2022!
Finally, the organisers of Intergalva are very grateful to the organisers of the Asia Pacific General Galvanizing Conference series for adjusting their schedule to accommodate an Intergalva in 2022. The next APGGC will now be held in April 2023 in Yokohama, Japan.
EGGA and the Assoziazione Italiana Zincatura (AIZ) are looking forward to hosting their worldwide colleagues in 2022!