The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is pivotal in defining a legislative framework for delivering the ambitions of the European Green Deal and the Renovation Wave, rendered even more urgent and necessary following the climatic, geopolitical, and economic developments of past years. EBC has advocated since the beginning of the legislative process for an ambitious and realistic EPBD recast.
Following the vote in Plenary of European Parliament in March that shaped the Parliament’s negotiating position, interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues) between the two co-legislators and the European Commission have been going full steam ahead, in the still difficult context of the end of the current legislature.
Last week, on 12 October, a third round of political trilogue took place in Brussels. The co-legislators seem to have achieved progress and reached agreements on a number of central topics of the reform, including a definition for zero-emission buildings (ZEB), a framework for minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) and the role of one-stop-shops (OSS). The details of the agreement are to be ironed out in the context of technical meetings in the coming months, while some issues are still left open for negotiations in the next political trilogue.
EBC welcomes the progress marked so far and supports the conclusion of a final agreement as soon as possible, preferably by the end of the year under the Spanish Presidency of the Council, notably in view of upcoming European elections. EBC will continue to advocate the positions of construction SMEs in the context of the EPBD recast process, aiming for a conclusion of negotiation that guarantees an EPBD that sets out a clear and implementable framework for energy efficient renovation for our SMEs and delivers better buildings for Europeans.
