Founded in 1998, EGEC, the European Geothermal Energy Council is an international non-profit association located in Renewable Energy House in Brussels, in the heart of the European quarter. EGEC has 130 members from 28 European countries, including private companies, national associations, consultants, research centres, geological surveys, and public authorities. Our aim is to promote the use of geothermal energy. We do this by: • Working with European institutions. Developing a sound policy framework and beneficial financial instruments allows geothermal energy to complete with traditional sources and ensures that the environmental benefits are reflected in economic support for the sector. • Encouraging Research and Development and helping the public at large to access the results, enabling wider exploitation of geothermal resources. • Promoting the geothermal market in Europe as well as the export of European technology, services, and equipment to other parts of the world. • Representing the industries’ interests at all levels of policy making in order to improve business conditions. • Co-operating with national and international geothermal associations, and with any other associations promoting research on and application of renewable energy sources, joining forces to achieve successful development and implementation throughout Europe, and fostering European cooperation.