Energy Union Framework: big on opportunity for buildings, small on actions

The Juncker Commission prided itself on being ‘big on big things and small on small things’. The buildings of the EU make up more than 50% of all fixed assets and consume around 40% of primary energy. Construction accounts for about 9% of EU GDP, with around 3 million enterprises providing more than 13 million direct jobs. Surely this is a big sector that deserves a robust framework?

With the Energy Union Package released on 25 February 2015, the European Commission acknowledged the huge potential for energy efficiency improvements in buildings, pointing out that 75% of the EU housing stock is wasting energy. But the Package fell short of setting urgent and ambitious actions to address this waste.

“A strategic vision for our existing building stock is what the Commission must deliver in order to be big on growth, jobs and energy security,” explained Adrian Joyce, Secretary General of EuroACE. “It is the sector that can most quickly and surely boost job creation and economic activity whilst also delivering future resilience and long-lasting benefits to the EU as of now.”