The European Commission published, on Wednesday 31 March, a preliminary analysis of Member States’ long-term renovation strategies, highlighting some good practices.
Covering the 13 national strategies that were submitted to the Commission by mid-November of last year, the analysis highlights, for example, that the Netherlands, Denmark and France are planning some form of mandatory minimum standards for the energy performance of buildings, while Denmark, Austria, Cyprus and Estonia intend to strengthen the system of energy performance certificates.
In terms of stimulating joint procurement, the analysis highlights the Dutch ‘Stroomversnelling’ (‘renovation accelerator’) initiative and the Finnish ‘pool for energy savings in industries’ concept as examples of how to bundle projects into larger, more easily financed investments and conduct large-scale renovation of rental housing.
The paper also notes the tax deduction system in Germany and Denmark, as well as the reduced VAT rates for energy saving measures in France and Cyprus and for insulation and insulation labour costs in the Netherlands.
The review also welcomes the comprehensive set of construction (re)training programmes in France, as well as the Danish project to create a knowledge centre on energy saving in buildings for the vocational education and training system.
In relation to fuel poverty, the paper highlights the Spanish ‘Bono Social’ and ‘Better Energy Warmer Homes’ programmes, “providing free energy efficiency upgrades to homes where the householder receives a social welfare payment”.
See the Commission’s analysis: https://bit.ly/3m8YYl5 (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)