14/05/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 14 May, the Council of the EU approved the final text of the revised directive on the energy performance of buildings that follows on from an interinstitutional agreement reached under the Estonian Presidency on 19 December 2017 (see EUROPE 11929). The text includes provisions to improve the energy performance of new buildings, step up the pace of renovation of existing buildings to make them more energy efficient, and take advantage of the huge potential of energy efficiency in the residential sector, which uses 40% of the primary energy consumed in Europe (see EUROPE 12003). The text will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will come into force 20 days after publication. Member states will have 20 months to incorporate the new rules into national law. (EH)