In the context of the wider debate following the release of the first batch of the Fit-for-55 package in July 2021 and in view of the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) Directive, the European Housing Forum (EHF) today published its policy suggestions. The EHF is an informal platform gathering 15 representative organisations of the European housing sector, including EBC. In this co-signed letter, stakeholders from the entire housing sector, be it consumers, providers as well as professionals including construction SMEs, are calling for the decarbonisation of the EU’s housing sector through contextualized EU climate policies.
The signatories consider the Fit-for-55 package to be an ambitious strategic policy framework towards a carbon-neutral Europe. However, they underline the need for the legislative and policy interventions to be proportionate and within the context of a realistic climate policy for the housing sector. In this sense, affordability needs to be the guiding principle of the upcoming reforms, including the necessity to secure targeted financing towards the households in need in the context of the EU’s recovery. Legislative measures would need to be fit for purpose, taking into account the national context. At the same time, a holistic and integrated view of buildings is deemed essential for a quality Renovation Wave.
More specifically, the signatories are recommending the European Commission to:
- Prioritise measures that demonstrably lead to the greatest CO2 reductions for the lowest costs for building owners and residents
- Refrain from one-size-fits-all solutions and grant flexibility to Member States
- Guarantee that any introduction of new mandatory requirements is sectoral, progressive and focus on the overall objectives, including Minimum Energy Performance Standards
- Activate dedicated European funding
- Enable quality and targeted training and re/up-skilling of professionals across the construction sector
- Ensure the efficient implementation and long-term sustainment of One-Stop-Shops to provide assistance and support for renovation
The next EHF meeting is expected to be convened before the end of 2021.
To learn more about the European Housing Forum, click here
 | To read the letter “Decarbonisation of the EU Housing stock through contextualised EU climate policies – A housing sector perspective” of the European Housing Forum, click here |