Green houses, Italia lags behind: infringement procedure triggered

National restructuring plans to implement the Green Homes Directive delayed. Thus began a series of infringement proceedings against several member states, including Italia. This was announced by the European Commission, which is now asking states to submit their plans without further delay. The deadline for submission was 31 December last year, but Brussels is still missing many plans at the appeal.

Brussels - reads the communiqué - has decided "to initiate infringement proceedings by sending a letter of formal notice" to Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, France, Italia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden, as they "have not submitted their draft national building renovation plan to the Commission by the deadline of 31 December 2025". That's 19 countries in total.

By 31 December 2025, member countries should, in fact, have sent their national renovation plans to Brussels. The Epbd (Energy performance of buildings directive, the Green Homes directive) sets some long-term objectives, related to cutting the average consumption of buildings: a 16% reduction by 2030 and 20-22% by 2035, with full decarbonisation by 2050. How these targets are to be declined in individual countries, with respect to the specificities of different real estate assets, is a matter to be addressed in the restructuring plans. States should have sent these by the end of 2025, mapping the situation of their real estate, and then received a response from the Commission. By the end of 2026, this will lead to the final version of the plan. Italia, for now, has not yet sent its draft to Brussels.

So now Brussels stresses that the plans "are an essential and strategic tool for Member States to transform their building stock into a high-performance, energy-efficient decarbonised asset by 2050". The timely submission of the draft plans "allows the Commission to effectively assess each Member State's strategy, ensuring that the finalised plans are comprehensive, implementable and in line with updated national and EU climate and energy targets". In its letter, the Commission 'now asks the Member States concerned to submit their draft plans without further delay'. More specifically, the Member States 'have two months to reply to the letters of formal notice. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion'. And advance the infringement procedure.