On 25 February 2016, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ) co-organised the Post Meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Energy Efficiency Market Transformation with Information Provision Scheme (AJ-EMTIPS) under the Senior Officials Meeting on Energy – Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (SOME-METI) Work Programme 2015-2016. It was hosted by the Institute of Renewable Promotion (IREP) under the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Lao PDR, and was held back-to-back with AJEEP Post Meeting in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR.

The meeting was attended by fifteen delegates from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and also delegates from ECCJ and ACE.  The meeting aimed to review the accomplishments of AJ-EMTIPS 2015-2016, as well as to make suggestions to improve AJ-EMTIPS in the future.

AJ-EMTIPS is another cooperation programme between ASEAN and Japan that started in 2013 under the SOME-METI Work Programme, focusing on labeling for energy efficiency (EE) standard. The objectives of the programme are: i) to support ASEAN Member States (AMS) to overcome the barriers to to promote the implementation of energy efficient home appliances by adopting the Japanese approach; and ii) to discuss, exchange ideas and experience between the AMS and Japan regarding activities that enhance EE market transformation in ASEAN.

This is the third year of AJ-EMTIPS implementation in ASEAN.  The Programme’s post meeting produced the following outcomes and recommendations:

• Over the 3 (three) years of AJ-EMTIPS, the Programme has supported the enhancement and establishment of the standard & labeling (S&L) system and market transformation in ASEAN. Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar (CLM) have made great efforts to take a substantial step towards EE S&L system establishment. Example progress: Myanmar has included the EE S&L policy and regulation into the new established Presidential Decree, approved in February 2016.
• The Meeting noted that AJ-EMTIPS will continue supporting ASEAN Energy Database and EE S&L harmonisation.
• Considering that intensified support needs to be made in CLM to narrow the gap between AMS in terms of EE S&L establishment, ACE will circulate the proposal template to CLM to guide them to create a detailed proposal for 2016 cooperation under AJ –EMTIPS programme. Then, ECCJ will pass the proposals to Ministry of Economic, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan to be considered as the ASEAN-Japan cooperation in 2016.

Lastly, The Meeting expressed the sincerest thanks to METI and ECCJ for their continuous support to ASEAN Member States in developing the Standard and Labeling System. (RJPS)