St. Paradias: The draft Directive for the energy upgrade of buildings is over-optimistic and unrealistic

The final draft of the Directive on the energy upgrading of European buildings was recently unveiled in Brussels today by the relevant officials of the European Commission.

The President of the International Association of Property Owners (UIPI) Mr. Stratos Paradias pointed out that the most important regulation of the final draft of the Directive is that the prohibition of legal acts such as the lease or sale of buildings and apartments that will not be upgraded, provided for in yesterday, it finally withdrew thanks to the strong reactions of the International Association of Property Owners (UIPI) in Brussels, and its member organizations in all European countries, and especially in the countries of the South. It is an unprecedented victory and success of the property organizations, that the final draft of the Directive no longer contains these regulations, which would lead not to the “charring” of the buildings, but literally to the “charring” of their value…

According to the plan that was made public, its main provisions are the following:

Until 2030 all new buildings (by 2027 if their usable area exceeds 2,000 sq.m.) and public buildings by 2027, should be zero emissions.

Obligation for energy upgrade now have all the buildings that are classified in the two lower energy levels, self-used or rented, as they will be radically reformed with the new specifications of energy rating and classification of buildings with P.E.A. The draft Directive distinguishes three categories of buildings:

a.) buildings and building units owned by public bodies,

b.) non-residential buildings and building units, other than those belonging to public bodies and finally

c.) residential buildings and building units.

The plan stipulates that:

Residential buildings and units, as well as those owned by public bodies, must achieve:

(i) after 1 January 2027, at least energy efficiency class F; and

(ii) after 1 January 2030, at least energy efficiency category E;

Residential buildings and building units must achieve at the latest:

(i) after 1 January 2030, at least energy efficiency class F;

(ii) after 1 January 2033, at least energy efficiency category E;

Therefore, shops, offices and other non-residential buildings that are classified in the lowest tier (G) and should be upgraded by at least 31.12.2026 to tier (E) while homes by 31.12.2029. All this is calculated on average at 15% of the building stock.

Then the buildings of shops and offices etc. that are classified in the next step (F) should be upgraded by 31.12.2029. and residential buildings until 31.12.2032, in step (E). All this is also estimated at 15% of the building stock.

In total, 30% of the building capacity classified in the two lowest energy levels (over one million buildings for Greece with 3,650,000 buildings) should have been upgraded to level (E) by 31.12.2032, which is absolutely impossible , as transposing these regulations into national law will take many years.

“This process will continue gradually in the coming years, with each subsequent energy class representing 15% of the total building capacity, at the initiative and responsibility of the Member States, so that by 2050 all buildings will be zero emissions and fully.” charred “.

The consequences for those buildings that are not upgraded according to the above objectives, will be determined by the national laws of the Member States, we hope (and we asked for that) according to the prevailing economic and social conditions of each country.

The problem with this whole plan is not whether property owners disagree with the above arrangements, as everyone is interested in improving their buildings and tackling climate change, but how many of them actually have the opportunity, under state of non-existence of substantial state aid and doubling of the cost of renovation in the last year, and with VAT 24% to carry out the upgrades that are so optimistic, but also so unrealistic included in the draft of this Directive.