Overview                                                     

In the EU, the first significant effort to reduce energy consumption in the building sector began in 1993 with the 'SAVE' Directive limiting CO2 emissions through improved energy efficiency. It required member states to implement and report on energy efficiency programs in the building sector. The SAVE Directive was replaced in 2006 by a directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services, including the building sector as part of the overall energy saving efforts.

The main instrument is however the 2002 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which covers both residential and non-residential buildings and is considered an "additional instrument" to SAVE, disigned to fill its "gaps" through concrete actions. The EPBD came into effect in January 2006 and provides a common methodology for calculating the energy performance of buildings and for creating minimum standards of energy performance in individual member states. The directive applies to new buildings and to existing buildings subject to major renovations.

The existing Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is a key element to improve buildings' energy performance. Some Member States have made promising progress in recent years, but the majority still have an enormous untapped potential for improvements. To this end, the Commission saw further room for strengthening the effectiveness and the impact of this Directive and proposed on 13 November 2008 a “Recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive” (2002/91/EC). The recast of the Directive will further activate the enormous unrealized savings potential that  lies dormant in buildings, also boosting sustainable investments and job creation, often in SMEs, across Europe. The estimated impact of the recast is estimated to energy savings of 60-80 Mtoe in 2020 and the total EU energy consumption will be reduced by 5-6%.

In January 2008, The European Commission has proposed to unlock market potential for innovative goods and services in a first batch of six important markets in which the European Union has the potential to become world leader: one of them being sustainable construction. This "Lead Markets Initiative for Europe" (LMI) proposed by the Commission will foster the emergence of these markets while European enterprises would profit from fair and better chances of entering new fast growing world-wide markets with a competitive advantage as lead producers. The Action Plan for Sustainable Construction presents a comprehensive list of measures to further stimulate a market for products and services in sustainable construction in Europe. These measures endeavor to build a coherent basis for progressive step changes to regulation, standardisation and public procurement practices fostering innovation and sustainability in construction. It is expected through this framework to raise awareness and acceptance about the need to transform the way the customer decides and the supply chain operates.

In April 2010, a position at first reading (5386/10 ADD 1) on the energy performance of buildings directive (5386/10) which aims to clarify, strengthen and extend the scope of the current Directive 2002/91/EC and to reduce the large differences between Member states' practices in this sector.

• Nov. 2008: Proposal for a Directive 2002/91/EC (recast) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2008 on the Energy Performance of Buildings
  
  
•  EPBD mid term review in 2009, with proposals announced on:
  • significantly lowering threshold for minimum energy performance requirements for major renovations;
  • minimum performance requirements for new and renovated buildings;
  • financing measures for "highly cost-effective investments";
  • more detailed metering and billing requirements.

• End of 2008: possible binding requirements on installation of passive heating and cooling technologies.
  
  
• Dec. 2007: A Lead Market Initiative for Europe: Action Plan on Sustainable Construction

• June 2007: member states to publish national action plans on energy efficiency

• Jan. 2006: deadline for member states to implement Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). But most member states extended the deadline to 2009

• Jan. 2003 : Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002 on the energy performance of buildings