(4) A framework facility to support ESCO projects in acceding states.

24. Highlights the importance of the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) initiative, which identifies and categorises skills, competences, qualifications and occupations relevant for the EU labour market and education and training, in 25 European languages;

32. With specific regard to energy efficiency, welcomes the EIB’s increasing activity in the sector over the last few years, and encourages the Commission and the EIB to work together in exploiting synergies and launching new joint initiatives, in particular in light of the investment needs and opportunities created by the recently adopted Energy Efficiency Directive; invites the EIB to consider inter alia the specific role of the ESCOs when defining the new joint initiative for energy efficiency;

89. Acknowledges that a well-functioning energy market incentivises energy savings; calls on the Commission to assess and report on the role of energy companies, including Energy Service Companies (ESCO's) in promoting energy efficiency and calls on the Commission and the Member States to take effective measures to push energy companies to invest in energy efficiency and facilitate end-user energy efficiency improvements; calls on the Commission present recommendations based on best practices from which Member States can select the most suitable model for their domestic situation, such as a white certificate scheme, tax reliefs, direct ...[+++] incentives, etc.;

83. Stresses the need to develop technical assistance and financial engineering at local and regional authority level in order to support local players in setting up projects – e.g. by harnessing the EIB's ELENA technical assistance facility and the experience of ESCOs;

71. Calls on the Commission to submit a report on the need for further financial assistance in order to increase energy efficiency in the existing building stock and which evaluates current financial instruments; the Commission should put forward proposals on how to establish an EU framework of revolving financial instruments to support or guarantee complementary energy efficiency measures, existing national schemes and distribution channels (e.g. by means of risk sharing) and to encourage the setting-up and improvement of energy efficiency schemes in Member States; asks the Commission to propose within the EEAP policy options on how to ensure that energy efficiency funds are in place at national, regional or local level; considers that ...[+++]these funds could, i.e. through financial intermediaries, play an important role in the development of such instruments, which would deliver financing possibilities to private property owners, SMEs and ESCOs; supports the idea that such instruments promote greater support for more demanding energy-saving measures;