Build Europe

Build Europe, the association representing European developers and homebuilders, would like to provide its contribution to the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive by providing the European Commission with amendments (and explanations) to some of the articles included in the published proposal (please find attached).

Build Europe Feedback on Energy efficiency – Revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive Deadline: 22 March 2021 Build Europe and its members consider that the EPBD has been successful in achieving its goals of increasing the energy performance of new buildings.

Opening of the attached position paper · the full paper is on the Commission’s record (source link above)

Build Europe agrees with the creation of a new mechanism – such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – to prevent the risk of carbon leakage from third countries and to create a level playing field between EU and non-EU producers.

Build Europe is glad to inform the work of the European Commission to promote energy efficiency across the EU and support its ambition – expressed in the Energy Efficiency Directive - to achieve greenhouse gas reductions of 55% in a responsible way by 2030. Developers and housebuilders are ready to make efforts to improve the energy efficiency of new buildings.

Build Europe supports the EU’s environmental objectives and ambitions, and welcomes the objective to turn Europe into the first carbon neutral continent by 2050. Build Europe is concerned, however, the continuous introduction of additional environmental requirements could threaten housing affordability across Europe, unless strong financial incentives are put in place.

Build Europe welcomes the efforts and work of the European Commission to harmonise rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU. However, as stated in our response to the public consultation on the potential revision of the Construction Products Regulation, Build Europe believes that CPR provisions could have a negative impact on the price of construction products as well as administrative burdens for…

According to Build Europes feedback (attached), Europes housing problem is not primarily a market failure, but a supply problem. Across Member States, housing is not being delivered at the scale needed, largely because of structural constraints. These include complex and slow permitting, limited land availability, regulatory uncertainty, rising construction costs, financing constraints, and taxation.

Build Europe welcomes the Commissions initiative to prepare a Housing Simplification Package. Europes affordability crisis is driven primarily by an insufficient supply of new homes. Increasing delivery requires investment and a simpler, faster and more predictable regulatory framework. The cumulative effect of EU, national and local rules delays projects and raises costs.

Build Europe represents the European residential development and homebuilding sector, whose members rely largely on bank financing for the acquisition, development and construction of new housing. The full feedback and the supporting annexes are attached to this submission.

Build Europe supports the EU’s environmental objectives and ambitions, and welcomes the objective to turn Europe into the first carbon neutral continent by 2050. Build Europe's full feedback is in the attachment. The current regulation requires Member States to ensure that the LULUCF sector does not generate net emissions.

Build Europe, the European association representing the national federations of European developers and homebuilders, accounting for more than 60% of EUs homebuilding capacity and 17 states, welcomes the EU action plan on accelerating the heat pump market and deployment. We endorse the Commission's initiative to review the ecodesign requirements (e.g.