Jørgensen: The Green Homes Directive does not require renovating individual residential buildings

Brussels – The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, better known as the Green Homes Directive, “does not impose renovating individual residential buildings but provides a framework to encourage cost-effective energy renovations, which can substantially decrease households’ energy bills,” said the Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, in response to a parliamentary question tabled by the opposition benches. 

The political row over green homes has flared up again, with the far right accusing the European Commission of interfering in a matter of national competence – namely housing policy – and the Commission denying this and keeps forging ahead. The directive “includes criteria to make energy performance certificates (EPCs) clearer, more reliable and visible, and more comparable across the Union while respecting the specificities of the building stock and climate of each Member State,” Jørgensen added. He clarifies: the directive itself “does not propose harmonising them.” The legislation “offers Member States the flexibility to adopt tailored rules and exemptions while designing social safeguards to avoid ‘renovictions’ such as caps on rent increases or rent support.” In this regard, he concludes, “the Commission supports Member States in implementing these requirements.”