The Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) pilot programme will provide independent verification of the performance of new environmental technologies. This will help manufacturers prove the reliability of performance claims, and help technology purchasers identify innovations that suit their needs.
The ETV pilot programme, which is entirely voluntary, will initially cover three areas: water treatment and monitoring; materials, waste and resources; and energy technologies. The aim is to reduce the risks and increase confidence of the first purchasers or investors in a new technology by providing reliable, science-based information on its performance.
Introducing the initiative, Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said:
"The Environmental Technology Verification pilot programme is the first, practical fruit of the Eco-Innovation Action Plan. Investors need objective and credible information about the performance of new technologies, so this initiative will have an important role to play. It should help companies at the cutting edge of environmental technologies make the most of the opportunities in the European Single Market."
The ETV service will take the form of a Statement of Verification for use in business-to-business relations. ETV services are intended in particular for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, which may find it more difficult to prove the performance of new technologies than larger manufacturers.
The European Commission said that ETV should reduce the need to multiply demonstration sites or to repeat test campaigns for different markets. It could also facilitate exports to non-EU markets such as North America and Asia, where the ETV approach is progressively recognised.
Next steps
The programme will begin by accrediting the Verification Bodies (VBs) that will verify the technologies. Interested organisations are invited to contact the accreditation agency of the Member State where they are established, via the website of the European co-operation for Accreditation.
In the coming months, a call for proposals will also be published under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) to support accredited VBs in implementing the pilot programme. This includes helping manufacturers to undertake verifications under ETV.
After two to three years of operation, the European Commission will evaluate the ETV pilot programme, its functioning and impacts on the marketing of new technologies, and will draw conclusions on the way forward for Environmental Technology Verification in Europe. Stakeholders will be asked about the implementation and evaluation of the ETV pilot programme through a Stakeholder forum to be established in 2012.
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