Joint Statement on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

The signatories welcome the compromise text, voted on 9 February by the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

We support the overall objective to decarbonise heating and commend the re-affirmation made by the MEPs of the principle of technology neutrality. The energy transition of buildings needs a variety of solutions to compliment the variety of situations of European citizens (type of building, location, etc.). Provided that they contribute to the journey towards net-zero, no energy or technology should be disregarded. Europe needs to be open to all the solutions which are able to reduce emissions in new and existing buildings, and cannot afford to discriminate.

This is why we strongly support articles 7 and 8 of the ITRE report, that while maintaining the phase out of fossil fuels at the same time does ensure technology neutral, allowing citizens to choose between different heating systems, adapted to their circumstances and needs (type of building, cost, etc.).

We believe these articles are balanced and proportionate since they recognise the valuable contribution of “hybrid heating systems, boilers certified to run on renewable fuels and other technical building systems not exclusively using fossil fuels that comply with the requirements set out in Article 11(1)”. This is in line with both the EU objective to phase out fossil fuels, and with the TFEU, since the ban is targeting directly fossil fuels and fossil fuels only,and does not prohibit combustion technologies that are future-proof and are designed to use low carbon and renewable liquid fuels.

We call on the Parliament of ensure that the vote in plenary remains faithful to the principles established in the ITRE report.

As Moritz Bellingen, President of Eurofuel, in full agreement with and on behalf of all signatories commented, “the liquid heating fuels sector has been promoting the ‘Green Fuels Ready Label’ initiated by BDH (the German Heating Industry). We believe this will be a relevant and effective tool to ensure that the boilers are future-proof and will be running on low-carbon and renewable liquid fuels.”