Rapporteur pushes for earlier plenary vote on energy efficiency of buildings

The European Parliament has adopted Silvia-Adriana Ticau’s (Party of European Socialists, Romania) Report on a Proposal for a Directive on the Energy Efficiency of Buildings by 549 votes in favour to 51 against. The vote, originally scheduled for May, was moved forward to April. The Parliament expressed its desire for public authorities to set an example and implement recommendations that would be included in a common EU certificate for the energy performance of buildings. MEPs also want Member States to include measures in their national plans to encourage public authorities to adopt energy efficiency improvements as soon as possible. The strengthened provisions of the EP first reading legislative resolution requires all new buildings to become net zero energy by December 2018 at the latest. Major renovation of existing buildings will also need to meet this new requirement and Member States shall fix intermediate national targets for existing and new public buildings.

CEMBUREAU welcomes the setting up by 2014 of fiscal incentives for energy efficient buildings and supports the EU wide common calculation methodology for the cost optimal level of energy efficiency of the whole building based on existing harmonised standards. It also welcomes the priority given to strategies enhancing the thermal performance of buildings during the summer period through the development of passive cooling techniques and the deletion of the 1000 m2 threshold regarding renovation.

CEMBUREAU strongly opposes the widening of the scope of the EPBDⁱ to building components by setting minimum energy requirements.

The Working party on Energy of the Council will examine the Parliament’s first reading legislative resolution on 5 May 2009. A second reading is optimistically expected to be completed by the end of 2009.