See IEE2 - Integrated Initiatives for further information, as well as Info Day Video Recordings and Call documents which include guidance and details of priorities for action, indicators, key players and target groups.

Concerted action to address specific issues resulting from implementation of the Buildings Directive (Directive 2002/91/EC)

This special initiative is restricted to Member States and participating countries and their designated organisations. It builds on the concerted action supporting transposition and implementation of Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (CA EPDB) for the period January 2005 - June 2007, as adopted by Commission Decision C/2004/4539.

This first concerted action (CA EPBD) has been providing essential support for the dialogue between Member States (MS) regarding implementation of Directive 2002/91/EC, the Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD). This first CA was designed to cover three different periods, centred on 4 January 2006, the deadline set by the EPBD fortransposition by MS. However, Member States are having considerable difficulties with transposition and implementation of the EPBD, which have resulted in serious delays. It is now clear that a significant majority of MS will make full use of the three-year extension allowed by the EPBD, largely on grounds of the lack of qualified experts to carry out certification and inspection activities. Under these circumstances, it is impossible to conclude the work plan on the first CA EPBD by June 2007.

Although significant progress has already been made with the work on this CA, particularly towards achieving a significant degree of convergence between Member States in their solutions to common problems, many issues that should have been settled by now, and on which MS should have made all their decisions, are still being discussed in a significant number of countries. This is confirmed by the action taken by the European Commission, which has issued a significant number of €reasoned opinions€ to MS, signalling that the delays are really serious and that many issues still need to be resolved.

This CA will continue to aim at supplementing and accelerating the work of the committee set up by the Buildings Directive (Article 14) and the ongoing work on standardisation for the same Directive by the CEN Technical Committees, in order to meet the deadlines set for full implementation of the EPBD. In addition, the CA will enhance and structure sharing of information and experience from national implementation and promote good/best practice in other activities required of Member States by the Directive. It will therefore address many aspects, including national building codes, European standards, certification schemes, integration of RES installations into buildings and guidelines for inspections on heating and cooling installations. The CA will especially focus on how MS are planning to implement the Directive and on national standardisation work in order to bring the provisions adopted at European level closer to best practice in Member States, while also promoting better certification and inspection schemes and schemes for accreditation of energy audit and inspection experts in Member States. A clear division of tasks between this CA and the proposed Energy Performance of Buildings Directive Platform has also been established to avoid duplication and to ensure that the CA, the Platform and the Article 14 and CEN Committee complement each other.