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In a public
deliberation, the Council took note of the state of play and procedures concerning
the so-called "energy efficiency package", which includes the
following three proposals: · an energy performance of buildings directive; · an energy
labelling directive; · a regulation
on labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency. The Council
has been working intensively on the proposals and has already adopted the
regulation on labelling of tyres and reached an informal agreement with the
European Parliament on the two directives. Nevertheless, the entry into force
of the Lisbon Treaty requires some adaptations mainly concerning the legal
basis and the comitology provisions. Consultations are ongoing between the institutions
on these issues. The revised
legislation on the energy performance of buildings provides in
particular for: · all new buildings must be nearly zero energy
buildings by 2020 and for buildings occupied by public authorities by 2018. Member
States should draw up national plans to increase the number of "nearly zero
energy buildings", whose energy needs should to a very significant extent
be covered by energy from renewable sources, including renewable energy produced
on-site or nearby; · the public sector should assume a leading
role: public buildings with a total floor area over 500m2 and frequently
visited by the public will have to display energy performance certificates
visibly. In five years, this threshold will be lowered to 250 m2; · minimum energy performance requirements for buildings or building units, in order to achieve a"cost-optimal level" (the energy performance level which leads to
the lowest cost during the estimated economic life-cycle); · minimum energy performance requirements when amajor renovation is to be carried out in existing buildings or building
units; · regular inspections of heating and
air-conditioning systems; · independent control systems for energy
performance certificates and inspection reports.
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