Green houses, Italy does not send the implementation plan

Italy still stuck ongreen houses. Our country has missed the first key deadline in the implementation of the Energy performance of buildings directive (Epbd): the plan for the renovation of buildings has not been delivered to Brussels, in its first draft, by 31 December, as was envisaged by EU rules. It is still unclear, in short, how we expect to reach the very ambitious redevelopment targets set by the directive. Not least because, in the meantime, no concrete steps are being taken towards the overall transposition of the European regulations, the deadline for which is set for 29 May.

In its final version, the Epbd sets consumption reduction targets for the Member States' building stock: 16% by 2030 and 20-22% by 2035, compared to 2020 levels. Italy, to tell the truth, does not start behind, since the savings achievedwith the superbonus are also counted in this timeframe. Within the framework of these targets, it is the member states that have to determine, with their own plans, how to move forward. Thus, by December 2025 they should have sent a first draft of a national restructuring plan. Once the documents have been received, the EU executive will be able to analyse them to provide its recommendations, within the six-month deadline. On the basis of these comments, the final version of the plan will be produced by the end of 2026.

The plans will, in fact, have to survey the country's building stock, identifying its characteristics in terms of energy efficiency. And they will have to indicate the priorities that the government sets for renovations, since the Epbd only provides general indications: the majority of renovations will, in fact, have to concern the 43% less performing building stock. It is up to the member states to indicate how to identify this heritage, which types of buildings to target and with which facilities. In the plans, in fact, it will also be necessary to indicate the instruments to achieve the objectives. In Italy, in concrete terms, it will be necessary to understand whether to continue working with the facilities currently available or whether the government plans to activate further instruments in the coming years.

All this has not yet been sent to Brussels. Although it should be emphasised that we are not the only country failing to comply with the Epbd's instructions. A total ofeight countries have so far sent the draft plan: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. Apart from Italy, other EU heavyweights such as France and Germany are missing from the list.

Italy, however, for its part, is certainly not rushing to implement the directive. On the prohibition of tax incentives for fossil fuel boilers, in force since 2025, a letter has already arrived from Brussels, heralding a possible infringement procedure: in the crosshairs are the Conto termico 2.0 subsidies for the public administration. The procedure is currently still open and could lead to a formal infringement.