Houses will be renewed, EU directive is changing again: news

Even higher energy classes for homes and non-residential buildings will be reached in the next ten years. But there are also a number of exceptions that exclude second homes, historic buildings, housing estates and places of worship. Including a clause postponing the renovation of 22% of the housing stock until 2037, this would impose extreme economic costs for owners. These are the main changes in the text that the European Parliament plans to replace the EU directive on energy performance in buildings, the so-called “greenhouses” directive.

energy classes

The Eurochamber Industry commission has approved what will be the position of MPs in negotiations with member states to implement the final version of the directive proposed by the EU executive body, if approved by the general assembly. The original text provoked a backlash, especially in Italy, with the majority of the political world and real estate associations seeing the directive as a blow to owners and businesses. EU governments have presented a counter-proposal that would drastically reduce states’ restructuring obligations. Instead, Parliament approved a text halfway between the moves of environmentalists and those of the anti-directive front.

At first glance, the position of Members of the European Parliament, who has won the support of a coalition ranging from the centre-right (EPP) moderates to the centre-left and the Greens, appears to be in a race to improve the energy performance of buildings. even more ambitious. If the Commission proposes that residential buildings achieve at least an energy performance class F by 2030 and an E class by 2033, Parliament demands the two targets to be class E by 2030 and class D by 2033. classes until 2027 and 2030, respectively (here too the Commission proposed F and E respectively).

Exceptions

The highest ambition, however, was steadfastly quenched by a series of derogations in favor of text, which secured Pd and M5s. First of all, the initial conditions: The fact that so far in Italy at least a third of the houses in our country have energy class G, which is the lowest energy class, has been discussed above all. According to the parliamentary text, this statistic will need to be revised: in each Member State, 15% of the worst performing buildings in the national park will be assigned a G. In other words, more than half of the houses with the lowest energy performance will be instantly promoted to the upper class F.

Having made this first choice, the Eurochamber proposal extends the exemptions already provided for in the Commission’s first proposal: second homes, monuments, buildings protected for special architectural or historical value, technical buildings, churches and other places of worship. “Member states may also exempt social housing estates where renovations would result in increased rents and cannot be offset by savings on energy bills,” a memo from Parliament said.

Another important exception concerns the flexibility for States to defer part of the housing stock, the 22% renewal obligation, to 2037 “depending on the economic and technical feasibility of the renovation work and the availability of a skilled workforce”. In addition, Democratic Party Member of the European Parliament Beatrice Covassi explains that it is not just a novelty that the Parliament demands “the removal of the penalty clause in the Commission’s proposal for non-compliance”.

A new EU fund

Highlights of Eurochamber’s counter proposal include the creation of a new European fund, the Energy Performance Renewal Fund, to finance renovations, as well as allowing zero-cost interventions for the most vulnerable families. It is unclear how this fund will be replenished. For Fabio Massimo Castaldo, a 5-Star Member of the European Parliament, it is necessary to take advantage of Eurobonds, as in Sure and the Recovery: “The issuance of common European debt will prevent countries with more fiscal space from numbing the single market by providing more liquidity to Europe. companies,” says Castaldo.

new buildings

Moreover, according to the text adopted by the Eurochamber, from 2028 all new buildings will be zero emissions, while from 2026 there must be new buildings used, managed or owned by public authorities (the Commission has proposed 2030 and 2027 respectively). All technically feasible and economically feasible new buildings must be equipped with solar technologies by 2028, while residential buildings undergoing renovations must adapt by 2032.

Ban of gas boilers by 2035

As with the first proposal, the Parliament’s proposal aims to ensure that the use of fossil fuels in heating systems for new buildings and buildings undergoing major refurbishment, major refurbishment or refurbishment of the heating system is not permitted from the date of transposition of this article. Directive. MEPs say they should be phased out by 2035 unless the European Commission allows them to be used by 2040.