Commission welcomes agreement on energy performance of buildings
A political agreement on new rules for improving the energy performance of buildings was reached today between negotiators from the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.
The Commission's proposal forms part of the implementation of the Juncker Commission priorities – in particular "a resilient Energy Union and a forward-looking climate change policy".
Today's agreement signals the closure of the first of 8 legislative proposals part of the Clean Energy for All Europeansp ackage brought forward by the European Commisison on 30 November 2016. It also shows that the work towards the completion of the Energy Union is on the way and that the work initiated by the Juncker Commission is being delivered.
The improvements agreed include measures to strengthen the energy performance of new buildings, to accelerate the rate of building renovation towards more energy efficient systems and tapping into the huge potential for efficiency gains in the building sector, the largest single energy consumer in Europe.
Vice-President responsible for the Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič said:
The fight against climate change starts 'at home', given that over a third of EU's emissions is produced by buildings. By renovating and making them smart, we are catching several birds with one stone – the energy bills, people's health, and the environment. And as technology has blurred the distinction between sectors, we are also establishing a link between buildings and e-mobility infrastructure, and helping stabilize the electricity grid. Let's stay on high gear.
