site.btaBulgaria among Seven EU Member States Urged to Comply with EU Energy-Efficient Buildings Obligations

The European Commission said in a press release on Thursday that it had decided to open an infringement procedure by sending letters of formal notice to Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia to remind them of their obligations under EU rules on the energy performance of buildings.

EU Member States have to set minimum energy performance requirements for buildings to achieve the best combination between investments and savings, also known as 'cost-optimal levels'. Calculating the cost-optimal levels is key for Member States to fully exploit the energy efficiency and renewable energy potential of the national buildings stock and to avoid people and businesses spending more money than necessary on efficiency improvements to their housing and offices.

The seven Member States have two months to respond and address the shortcomings raised by the Commission. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.