The European Parliament passed a controversial new directive requiring all new buildings to achieve zero-carbon emissions by 2028 and reach a climate-neutral building stock by 2050.
MEPs voted 343 to 216 to implement the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) Tuesday, March 14th, at a heated session of the parliament in Strasbourg.
Under the terms of the directive, residential buildings that are already inhabited have until 2030 to slash emissions, and all new buildings must be equipped with solar panels, where technically feasible, by 2028. Heating systems that use fossil fuel will also be phased out by 2035 for new buildings and those undergoing renovation.
Member states will be required to meet targets with renovation schemes and decide whether to include churches and social housing. The legislation will now move onto the European Council and Member States for final approval.
The directive was broadly supported by the Greens, the EPP, S&D, Left, and Renew parliamentary groups, though some EPP MEPs did voice concerns over costs and implementation.
The conservative ECR group released a statement that said, while they agreed with the directive in principle, it would only add to inflation and was not suited to every nation. Romanian ECR MEP Cristian Terheș referred to the directive as a threat to working people, in a statement to The European Conservative.
The ID group accused the EU of prioritising ideology over pragmatism, with all members, bar one, voting against the proposals.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini branded the directive as anti-Italian and promised to fight the legislation for “common sense and realism.” Italy is already working to stop EU plans to ban the sale of petrol cars by 2035.
The directive was initially proposed by the Commission and revised by Irish Green MEP Ciarán Cuffe, who defended the measures as increasing energy efficiency. The measures form part of the EU’s Fit for 55 strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 55% by 2030.
A panel discussion on the impact of the EU’s legislative priorities, including the Green Deal, will take place in Brussels on March 22nd, at the Silversquare working space, 11-12:30, hosted by The European Conservative. The event, “Europe: A Path Forward?”, is open to the public but will require registration.
