European directive on green houses approved: it could be a huge expense for European families

The European directive on green houses was approved, and this will be a huge trouble for European families if no one corrects it. The European Green Homes Directive, or, to be more precise, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Epbd), has received final approval by the European Parliament in plenary session.

There were 370 votes in favor, 199 against, and 46 abstentions. Italy’s governing parties voted no. If Fratelli d’Italia and Lega followed their own European groups, Ecr and Identità e Democrazia, respectively, Forza Italia’s position was less obvious, with the EPP splitting over the vote. MEPs from the Democratic Party, 5-Star Movement, Green-Left Alliance, and Italy Alive voted in favor of the directive.

At the European level, the Grenadines, Socialists, and Liberals (mostly Macron’s French, a strong supporter of this law) and a part of the EPP supperted this law. With the approval of the directive, member states will have two years to comply and submit a national restructuring plan to the EU, in which they will be tasked with explaining how they intend to achieve the goals set by the new legislation, and this could  be reached only with huge restructuring of private houses. 

A bad law, made worse by the European Parliament

The directive mandates a gradual reduction in the energy consumption of residential buildings, with cuts of 16 percent by 2030 and 20–22 percent by 2035. The ultimate goal is to bring residential stock to zero emissions by 2050. While the Commission’s original proposal offered more flexibility to individual states in meeting these targets, Parliament approved an amended version of the text.

In Italy, the buildings affected should be about 5 million, while the cost per family of this eco-madness should be between 20 and 55 thousand euros. Another important chapter of the directive is about stopping fossil fuels. By 2040, gas boilers will be eliminated, and from 2025, no subsidies will be allowed for stand-alone boilers.

It will be mandatory to install solar panels, but only for public buildings, while private buildings will have to be solar-ready, that is, suitable for their installation. Also regarding building construction, publicly owned buildings will have to have zero on-site emissions of fossil fuels from Jan. 1, 2028, and others from Jan. 1, 2030.

A huge amount of money will be wasted, and the carbon savings from this law will be minimal