On 20 May, REHVA Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer Francesco Robimarga attended several sessions at the Eurovent Annual Meeting 2026, held at the Warwick Hotel Brussels.
The event also carried a special significance for REHVA this year. Eurovent and REHVA formalised their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the REHVA Brussels Summit, marking a milestone in the collaboration between the two organisations. While Eurovent represents the voice of the European HVACR manufacturing industry, REHVA brings together heating, ventilation, and air conditioning professionals and building design engineers from across Europe. The two organisations are in many ways complementary — covering the full chain from product development and manufacturing to engineering practice and building performance — and the MoU reflects a shared commitment to advancing a coherent and technically grounded voice in European policy discussions.
The Policy Hour — an open session that has become a defining feature of the Annual Meeting — once again stood out as a highlight of the programme. Spanning nearly three hours, including a short break, it brought together European Commission officials and industry experts for a rich set of presentations and Q&A exchanges on the regulatory files most relevant to the HVACR sector.
The first part of the session covered four legislative and regulatory topics of direct importance to the industry. Robert Nuij (DG ENER, Unit B.3) opened with an update on the implementation of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), outlining the key obligations and the next steps Member States face in transposing and operationalising the directive's requirements. Salvatore D'Acunto (DG GROW, Unit E.2) then addressed the Single Market agenda, focusing on the regulatory environment for product manufacturers across the EU and, notably, on trade barriers persisting at Member State level that continue to hinder the functioning of the Single Market. Arno Kaschl (DG CLIMA, Unit C.1) provided an overview of the F-Gas Regulation, covering the current state of play and upcoming milestones. The first part closed with a presentation by Florina-Andreea Pantazi (DG GROW, Unit F.1) on the PFAS restriction process and its potential implications for refrigerants and other substances used in HVACR equipment. Each presentation was followed by Q&A exchanges that generated lively engagement from the audience.
After a coffee break, the second part of the Policy Hour opened with a market overview by Yannick Cotrelle (Eurovent Market Intelligence), who presented the current situation of the HVACR market in Europe. Georgios Takoudis and Niels Ladefoged (DG ENER, Unit B.3) then introduced the Code of Conduct for Energy Smart Appliances, explaining how the initiative aims to enhance the energy flexibility of connected products. The session concluded with a presentation by Jacopo Tattini (DG GROW, Unit I.3) on the Industrial Accelerator Act, including proposed amendments to the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and their specific relevance for the heat pump sector. The Commission also provided insights on regulatory certainty and the ongoing development of Ecodesign regulations for different product lots under the ESPR framework, a topic that drew particular interest from HVACR manufacturers present in the room.
Overall, the Policy Hour offered a comprehensive and timely overview of the regulatory agenda bearing on the sector — from building performance and refrigerants to market integrity and industrial policy. The breadth of topics and the quality of the exchanges confirmed the value of this session as a forum for direct dialogue between the industry and the European institutions.
REHVA will continue its efforts to foster policy developments in the HVAC sector, maintaining close relations with its supporters and engaging actively in EU consultations and legislative processes.