EU Member-States are attempting to water down the proposed renovation rate of buildings in the draft Energy Efficiency Directive, PlasticsEurope fears. Strong supporter of a 3% annual renovation rate in Europe, the association argues that such commitment would not only be decisive in reaching the ambitious EU 2020 energy efficiency and climate protection targets. It could potentially create 1.6 to 2 million new jobs in the European building and construction industry and increase tax revenues for EU Members States.

"Reducing the energy demand of buildings is key to energy efficiency, as buildings account for about 40% of the EU’s energy consumption. The current Council position on the renovation rate takes the wind out of the sails of the original proposal because the total number of buildings owned by central governments is overall very limited in Europe. If the EU Member States are not moving towards a more constructive position we fear a long slack period for the renovation business” said Martin Engelmann, Advocacy Director of PlasticsEurope.

PlasticsEurope supports the Council’s position against absolute binding energy consumption targets, since a cap on energy consumption beyond the possible energy efficiency rate would limit production and growth. It is however of a different opinion when it comes to the importance of public building renovation for the creation of a strong and sustainable economy in Europe. The Council proposes to limit the scope of the annual renovation rate to only those buildings that are owned by central governments. This would impact no more than 2% of the 22 million public buildings in Europe, whereas the original proposal encompassed all public buildings.