This week the negotiations on the Energy Efficiency Directive entered into the final stage with a trialogue meeting on 16 May between the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Commission. The Bulgaria’s EU presidency wanted the European Parliament to put a compromise on the table during the new talks on 16 May unlocking negotiations to close the file before July.

The co-legislators are still highlighting different starting points. The European Parliament has set a minimum binding target at least 35% by 2030 in line with the position of REHVA and several EU level stakeholders form the building sector. 

The Council wants to slow down the delivery of annual energy savings by introducing a whole new range of “flexibilities” after 2020, some of them well-hidden in the Annexes of the Directive. The Council try to widen the eligible measures with those stemming from the pre-2010 building codes for the new buildings. This would mean that MS would be able to account for the construction of new buildings as the energy savings, while the efficiency measures should go beyond the existing EU legislation to be counted. This is not in line with the agreement reached on the EPBD. An ambitious EED is crucial to unlock the full potential of the EPBD, which will enter into force next month.

The next trialogue on EED is scheduled for the next week. If Bulgaria fails in building the majority to break an agreement, it will be up to the incoming Austrian Presidency to finish the work.