Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings"
Date: 2001-11-15
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: European Parliament, approximation of laws, building services, energy policy, proposal (EU)

C 107/76

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

3.5.2002

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Proposal for a Directive of the European
Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings’

(2002/C 107/23)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the
energy performance of buildings [COM(2001) 226 final — 2001/0098 (COD)];

having regard to the decision of the Council of 6 June 2001, under the third paragraph of Article 175 of
the Treaty establishing the European Community, to consult the Committee of the Regions;

having regard to the decision by its Bureau on 12 June 2001 to instruct Commission 4 (Spatial Planning,
Urban Issues, Energy, the Environment) to draw up an opinion on this subject;

having regard to its Opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the
European Parliament on preparing for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol (CdR 295/1999 fin) (1);

having regard to its Opinion on a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council
on the Promotion of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources in the Internal Electricity Market (CdR
191/2000 fin) (2);

having regard to its Opinion on the communication from the Commission to the Council, the European
Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on an Action Plan to
Improve Energy Efficiency in the European Community (CdR 270/2000 fin) (3);

having regard to the Draft Opinion (CdR 202/2001 rev.) adopted by Commission 4 on 8 October 2001
(rapporteur: Ms McNamara, Member of Cork County Council, IRL/EA);

whereas energy efficiency makes a key contribution to the requirement of climate protection and to
meeting the Union’s reduction obligations as agreed in Kyoto,

adopted the following opinion unanimously at its 41st plenary session on 14 and 15 November 2001
(meeting of 15 November).

Views of the Committee of the Regions

The Committee of the Regions

welcomes the Commission’s determination, to improve
3.
energy efficiency in buildings, which will
lead to a more
sustainable energy policy and enhanced security of supply, and
will provide a key step towards reducing greenhouse gas
emission to protect the climate, as agreed in Kyoto;

welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a Directive of
1.
the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy
performance of buildings;

4.
stresses that the Directive is designed to complement
and reinforce Member State activity as required under the
subsidiarity principle;

2.
recognises that energy efficiency makes a key contri-
bution to the requirement of climate protection and to meeting
the Union’s reduction obligations as agreed in Kyoto, and
recommends that the Commission continues to strive to
increase its commitment to achieving its Kyoto obligation;

underlines the unique position which local and municipal
5.
authorities have at
the consumer level, regarding spatial
planning regulation, building regulation, enforcement, and
other policies;

(1) OJ C 57, 29.2.2000, p. 81.
(2) OJ C 22, 24.1.2001, p. 27.
(3) OJ C 144, 16.5.2001, p. 17.

emphasises the employment creating potential that the

6.
proposed Directive presents;

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C 107/77

7.
welcomes the degree of flexibility in the proposal for
existing buildings especially with regard to heritage and other
sensitive locations where energy efficiency measures in the
building envelope may not be appropriate or feasible;

16.
urges the Commission to continue to promote and
exploit indigenous energy sources with particular emphasis on
renewables;

8.
welcomes the specific targeting of the building envelope
but would urge the Commission to strengthen the labelling
scheme, and promote legislation that would urge companies
to produce more energy efficient appliances;

welcomes the proposal of the Commission to establish
17.
a common methodology for integrated energy performance
standards, and seeks the speedy introduction of the application
of these standards to new buildings and to certain existing
buildings when they are being renovated;

welcomes the fact

9.
that public buildings and those
frequented by the public will be prioritised in this Directive
and emphasise how well placed local and regional authorities
are in this regard;

10.
welcomes initiatives to harmonise Member State activi-
ties in energy efficiency, and recognises that this is one step to
make their activities more coherent in the broader European
context;

Recommendations of the Committee of the Regions

The Committee of the Regions

18.
welcomes a proposal to certify schemes for new and
existing buildings on the basis of these new standards, and
asks that not only single buildings be included, but also
buildings that are within the same development where the
combined floor area is greater than 1 000 m2;

19.
encourages Member States and where relevant local
and municipal authorities to bring forward legislation that
would associate energy usage in a building with a financial
incentive for the owner of that building, and also that would
reward the owners of buildings that incorporate passive solar
design;

urges the Commission to ensure that pre-accession
11.
countries would adopt energy efficiency legislation, in parallel
with the existing Member States;

urges the Commission to expand programmes such as
20.
the SAVE programme to include concrete measures, such as
retro-fitting of buildings, in order to provide the necessary
kick-start that the Directive may require;

12.
stresses the need for incremental measures, whilst
recognising the need for speedy implementation of legislation
— it is important that measures be adopted over a phased
period, but not to the detriment of deadline already proposed;

13.
stresses the need to link health and safety with energy
certification of public buildings, and in so doing emphasise the
necessity for the Directive to contribute to the integration of
energy and environmental objectives into other policy areas;

emphasises the need for increased energy efficiency in
14.
publicly owned dwellings particularly since the occupants of
these properties may often be more affected by fuel poverty;

21.
points out that programmes should be introduced to
include an area of activity specific to local and regional
authorities, considering the implications that the Directive will
have for buildings frequented by the public, as well as for local
authority housing;

22.
stresses the need to expand pre-accession activities
especially in the areas of energy audits, and the establishment
of regional and local energy offices, as well as in concrete
measures;

15.
requests that the Commission expand the Directive to
ensure that life cycle analysis of the building envelope would
be included in order to illustrate its impact on the carbon
cycle. Thereby ensuring that consumers and regulators would
see more clearly the carbon implications of products within
the envelope of buildings;

23.
points out to the Commission the central role of
local and regional authorities in energy management, and in
particular would highlight the potential of the SAVE energy
management agencies in assisting in the implementation of
this Directive in cities, regions, and islands throughout the EU
and in pre-accession countries;

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stresses the need to ensure that,

24.
in the absence of
harmonisation, where some Member States apply legislation

in advance of another, trade between the Member States would
not be adversely affected.

Brussels, 15 November 2001.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Communication from the Commission: The
Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Programme: Towards a thematic strategy for air quality’

(2002/C 107/24)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Communication from the Commission entitled ‘The Clean Air for Europe (CAFE)
Programme: Towards a thematic strategy for air quality’ (COM(2001) 245 final);

having regard to the Commission’s internal working document entitled ‘Clean Air for Europe’ (CAFE)
(SEC(2001) 688);

having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 5 May 2001, under the first paragraph of
Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to consult the Committee of the Regions;

having regard to the CoR Bureau decision of 12 June 2001 to instruct Commission 4 — Spatial Planning,
Urban Issues, Energy and the Environment — to draw up its opinion on the subject;

having regard to it’s Opinion on the Commission’s Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament
and of the Council on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants and the Proposal for
a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to ozone in ambient air (CdR
358/1999 fin) (1);

having regard to the Draft Opinion CdR 203/2001 rev., approved by Commission 4 on 8 October 2001
for which the rapporteur was Mr A. Paiva (President of Tomar Municipal Council, P-PPE),

adopted the following opinion by unanimous vote at its 41st plenary session of 14 and 15 November
2001 (meeting of 15 November).

1. General comments

1.1.
Improving air quality in Europe remains a constant
concern. The fact that air is still polluted constitutes a threat
to both human health and the environment.
is vital
to provide a link-up with the sixth Environmental Action
Programme, giving a boost to sustainable development and
recognizing the need to channel efforts into creating ‘sustaina-

It

(1) OJ C 317, 6.11.2000, p. 35.

ble cities’ where a healthy economy can exist alongside good
quality air (and other aspects of human health and the
environment). The Clean Air for Europe programme (CAFE)
has to adopt a comprehensive, holistic approach to this
problem, focusing on urban areas which are the key to ‘clean
air’ for the people of Europe and their environment.

1.2.
The establishment of a programme specifically focus-
ing on air quality is highly important; its aim is to provide an
instrument for improving quality of life, for forging links
between a variety of activities and in particular for securing
sustainable development in urban areas.