Brussels –Dissent is growing within the European People’s Party (EPP) over the decisions of the European Commission and its President, Ursula von der Leyen, on Green Homes. A total of 18 MEPs, all from the EPP group, criticised the European Commission’s decision to issue a formal notice to all EU member states for failing to transpose the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (known as the ‘Green Homes’ directive). “The unprecedented fact that not a single Member State has completed transposition on time raises serious concerns about the practicability, proportionality and legal clarity of the directive”, the MEPs, including Letizia Moratti (FI), said.
The European Commission is pressing ahead: “Full, correct and timely transposition and implementation of the EU energy acquis by all
Member States is essential to achieve the Union’s 2030 energy and climate targets,” the Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, a socialist, responds. The implementation of EU legislation, he explains, is necessary to “deliver on the key policy objectives of competitiveness, security of energy supply,
affordability, decarbonisation and a just energy transition for all.”
Translated: In the face of passive resistance from national governments, there will be no backing down. To EPP MEPs who call for “targeted amendments or a revision” of the directive, the Commissioner for Energy remains non-committal: “The Commission will evaluate and review the directive by the end of 2028.” This means that, until then, governments must adhere to the rules and procedures.
On the subject of procedures, Jørgensen is keen to stress that the launch of a blanket infringement procedure should come as no surprise: “Delays in the transposition of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)
have
been discussed with Member States in various exchanges
throughout the transposition
period.” So the governments were aware of this and cannot claim to be surprised. Furthermore, “EPBD infringement cases were launched following a standard Commission procedure,
based on the self-declaration of the Member States on the status of their transposition.”
Everything is as normal, then. Except that the governments are at odds with the European Commission, and the EPP has sparked an internal feud within the political group that chairs and leads the EU executive. On the Green Deal and sustainability policies, the EPP is contradicting its own previous stance and continues to call into question the work of the previous parliamentary term.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
