The European Parliament adopted by 370 votes to 199, with 46 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings (recast).
The European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the proposal as follows:
Subject matter
The proposed Directive promotes the improvement of the energy performance of buildings and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings within the Union, with a view to achieving a zero-emission building stock by 2050, taking into account the outdoor climatic conditions, the local conditions, the requirements for indoor environmental quality, and cost-effectiveness.
Members stated that the Directive lays down requirements as regards: (i) the calculation and disclosure of the life-cycle global warming potential of buildings; (ii) solar energy in buildings; (iii) the indoor environmental quality performance of buildings.
New buildings
Member States should ensure that new buildings are zero-emission buildings: (i) from 1 January 2028, new buildings owned by public bodies; and (ii) from 1 January 2030, all new buildings.
Member States should ensure that the life-cycle global warming potential (GWP) is calculated in accordance with Annex III and disclosed in the energy performance certificate of the building: (i) from 1 January 2028, for all new buildings with a useful floor area larger than 1000 m2; (ii) from 1 January 2030, for all new buildings.
Minimum energy performance standards for non-residential buildings and trajectories for progressive renovation of the residential building stock
Each Member State should: (i) set a maximum energy performance threshold to the effect that 16 % of its national non-residential building stock is above that threshold; (ii) set a maximum energy performance threshold to the effect that 26 % of its national non-residential building stock is above that threshold.
The minimum energy performance standards should ensure, at least, that all non-residential buildings are below the 16 % threshold from 2030; and the 26 % threshold from 2033. Compliance of individual non-residential buildings with the thresholds should be checked on the basis of energy performance certificates or, where appropriate, other available means.
Member States should ensure that at least 55 % of the decrease in the average primary energy use is achieved through the renovation of the 43 % worst-performing residential buildings.
Member States may decide not to apply the minimum energy performance standards to the following categories of building: (a) buildings officially protected as part of a designated environment or because of their special architectural or historical merit, or other heritage buildings; (b) buildings owned by the armed forces or central government and serving national defence purposes.
Solar energy in buildings
Member States should ensure the deployment of suitable solar energy installations, if technically suitable and economically and functionally feasible, as follows:
(a) by 31 December 2026, on all new public and non-residential buildings with useful floor area larger than 250 m2;
(b) on all existing public buildings with useful floor area larger than: (i) 2 000 m2, by 31 December 2027; (ii) 750 m2, by 31 December 2028; (iii) 250 m2, by 31 December 2030;
(c) by 31 December 2027, on existing non-residential buildings with useful floor area larger than 500 m2, where the building undergoes a major renovation or an action that requires an administrative permit for building renovations, works on the roof or the installation of a technical building system;
(d) by 31 December 2029, on all new residential buildings and on all new roofed car parks physically adjacent to buildings.
Zero-emission buildings
According to the amended text, a zero-emission building should not cause any on-site carbon emissions from fossil fuels.
In order to decarbonise the building sector, Member States should indicate their national policies and measures to phase out fossil fuels in heating and cooling in their national building renovation plans. They should strive to phase out stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels, and, as a first step, they should not provide, from 2025, financial incentives for the installation of stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels. It should still be possible to provide financial incentives for the installation of hybrid heating systems with a considerable share of renewable energy, such as the combination of a boiler with solar thermal or with a heat pump.
Renovation passport
By 2 years from the date of entry into force of this Directive, Member States should introduce a scheme for renovation passports. The scheme should be of voluntary use by owners of buildings and building units, unless the Member State decides to make it mandatory.
Member States should take measures to ensure that renovation passports are affordable and should consider whether to provide financial support to vulnerable households wishing to renovate their buildings.
Infrastructure for sustainable mobility
With regard to new non-residential buildings with more than five car parking spaces and non-residential buildings undergoing major renovation, with more than five car parking spaces, Member States should ensure: (i) the installation of at least one recharging point for every five car parking spaces; (ii) the installation of pre-cabling for at least 50 % of car parking spaces; (iii) the provision of bicycle parking spaces representing at least 15 % of average or 10 % of total user capacity of non-residential buildings.
One-stop shops for the energy performance of buildings
Member States should ensure the establishment and the operation of technical assistance facilities, including through inclusive one-stop shops for the energy performance of buildings, targeting all actors involved in building renovations, inter alia home owners and administrative, financial and economic actors, such as SMEs, including microenterprises.