WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?
Directive (EU) 2024/1275 aims to improve the energy performance of buildings within the European Union (EU), with the objective of achieving a zero-emission building stock by 2050.
The directive addresses both new and existing buildings, and both the energy efficiency of a building and the integration of renewable energy sources.
The recast promotes in particular the energy renovation of existing buildings to improve their energy performance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
KEY POINTS
National building renovation plan
Every EU Member State must develop a plan for renovating its national building stocks so that they are highly energy-efficient and decarbonised by 2050. Plans must:
- include an overview of the national building stock, of market barriers and failures and of capacities in the construction, energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors;
- set out a roadmap with 2030, 2040 and 2050 targets for annual renovation rates, reducing primary energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and reducing energy poverty;
- include an overview of implemented and planned policies and measures;
- outline investment needs, financing sources and administrative resources required for building renovations.
Minimum energy performance requirements
Member States must:
- set and regularly update minimum energy performance requirements for buildings and building elements to achieve cost-optimal levels;
- adopt a methodology for calculating the energy performance of buildings, considering design conditions and indoor environmental quality.
New buildings
Member States must ensure that:
- new buildings owned by public bodies are zero-emission buildings from 2028, and all new buildings are zero-emission buildings from 2030 – a zero-emission building must meet high energy performance standards, must not produce any on-site emissions from fossil fuels and must produce zero or a very low amount of operational greenhouse gas emissions.
- from 2026, new large buildings (over 1,000 square metres) have their life-cycle global warming potential (GWP) calculated, extending to all new buildings by 2030.
Minimum energy performance standards
The directive requires Member States to:
- set minimum energy performance standards for non-residential buildings that will trigger the renovation of their 16% worst-performing non-residential buildings by 2030 and their 26% worst-performing non-residential buildings by 2033;
- establish a trajectory for progressively renovating residential buildings to improve the average energy performance of their residential building stock.
Other rules
The directive:
- seeks to ensure that new buildings are designed to optimise solar energy potential and mandates the gradual roll-out of solar energy installations on buildings;
- introduces a scheme for renovation passports to guide building owners through complex renovation processes in a staged manner;
- sets requirements for the installation and optimisation of technical building systems to enhance energy performance;
- mandates the installation of recharging points for electric vehicles and bicycle parking spaces in new and renovated buildings;
- sets up a scheme for rating the smart readiness of buildings, encouraging the use of smart technologies to improve energy efficiency and performance;
- seeks to ensure building owners, tenants and managers have access to building systems’ data and facilitates interoperability of services and data exchange;
- requires Member States to:
- provide financing support and address market barriers to encourage investments in building renovations,
- set up a certification system and one-stop shops for the energy performance of buildings,
- set up a system for regular independent inspections of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
Repeal
The directive repeals Directive 2010/31/EU, consolidating and updating previous regulations.
FROM WHEN DO THE RULES APPLY?
Since Directive (EU) 2024/1275 is a recast, the existing rules remain in force.
Article 35 of Directive (EU) 2024/1275 specifies which of the new rules introduced needed to be transposed into national law by 1 January 2025 and which will need to be transposed by 29 May 2026.
Directive (EU) 2024/1275 will repeal and replace Directive 2010/31/EU with effect from 30 May 2026.
BACKGROUND
The directive is closely associated with the European Green Deal package, in particular with the emissions trading system for fuels used in buildings, the Energy Efficiency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/1791), the Renewable Energy Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/2413) and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1804).
For further information, see:
MAIN DOCUMENT
Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on the energy performance of buildings (recast) (OJ L, 2024/1275, 8.5.2024).
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Regulation (EU) 2023/955 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 establishing a Social Climate Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (OJ L 130, 16.5.2023, pp. 1–51).
Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) 2023/955 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Directive (EU) 2023/1791 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on energy efficiency and amending Regulation (EU) 2023/955 (recast) (OJ L 231, 20.9.2023, pp. 1–111).
Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’) (OJ L 243, 9.7.2021, pp. 1–17).
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A Renovation Wave for Europe – greening our buildings, creating jobs, improving lives (COM(2020) 662 final, 14.10.2020).
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: The European Green Deal (COM(2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019).
Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 contributing to climate action to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 (OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, pp. 26–42).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, amending Regulations (EC) No 663/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives 94/22/EC, 98/70/EC, 2009/31/EC, 2009/73/EC, 2010/31/EU, 2012/27/EU and 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 2009/119/EC and (EU) 2015/652 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, pp. 1–77).
See consolidated version.
Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast) (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, pp. 82–209).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2017 setting a framework for energy labelling and repealing Directive 2010/30/EU (OJ L 198, 28.7.2017, pp. 1–23).
See consolidated version.
Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings (recast) (OJ L 153, 18.6.2010, pp. 13–35).
See consolidated version.
Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, pp. 32–46).
See consolidated version.
