• DA - dansk
  • EN - English
Parliamentary question - E-010143/2014Parliamentary question
E-010143/2014

Approval of heat pumps in Denmark

Question for written answer E-010143-14
to the Commission
Rule 130
Jørn Dohrmann (ECR)

In Denmark, heat pumps are required to be on a list administered by a public authority, the Danish Energy Agency, in order to receive a subsidy aimed at promoting the installation of such pumps, which benefit the climate and the environment as they run on electricity generated by wind turbines.

In order for a heat pump to be included on the list, it has to be tested and approved at an EU‐ certified institute. At present the Danish Energy Agency effectively only accepts heat pumps approved by the Danish Technological Institute, as it imposes specific Danish requirements for testing on extra criteria, which is highly inappropriate as nearly all the pumps are produced abroad even though they are approved locally. This means that Danish consumers have fewer choices as a result of less competition, as fewer producers want to enter the Danish market.

This procedure is likely to be in breach of EU competition rules, as it gives a Danish body, the Danish Technological Institute, a monopoly of the approval of heat pumps.

Does the Commission consider that it is compatible with the rules of the Single Market for the Danish Energy Agency to set up a special Danish subsidy scheme for heat pumps which is dependent on tests by the Danish Technological Institute and on more testing criteria than the common European standard?

Does the Commission propose to inform the Danish authorities of this?