01/02/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 31 January Eurochambres, the association of European chambers of commerce and industry, published a survey conducted in ten EU countries – Austria, Belgium (Flanders), Croatia, Estonia, France, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Romania and Spain – which reveals that half still lack comprehensive financial support measures for energy audits and do not provide grants for the implementation of energy management systems, as required by the energy efficiency directive that was to have been transposed into national law by mis-2014. The survey found, too, that existing support schemes are often not SME-friendly, due to low co-funding rates and high minimum thresholds for investments. Eurochambres urges the Commission, therefore, to put pressure on the member states to fulfil their legal obligations and beef up the energy efficiency first principle with adequate support schemes. (EH)