Not one EU state had fully written the recast buildings directive into law by its May deadline, a new tracker confirms. For UK fabricators, the sharper story is what Dublin is funding and Westminster is not.
Europe’s flagship plan to cut the energy its buildings use has hit the obstacle that trips up many grand designs: the paperwork. A tracker launched by the Renovate Europe campaign in Dublin has found that none of the EU’s 27 member states had declared full transposition of the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) by the 29 May deadline.
Brussels had already reached the same verdict. In July the European Commission sent letters of formal notice to all 27 governments, the first step in infringement proceedings. On 1 October it escalated against nine states that had still not submitted draft national building renovation plans. Each received a reasoned opinion and has two months before a possible referral to the EU’s Court of Justice. Ireland, which hosted the launch as part of its Council presidency, is one of the nine.
The tracker was unveiled at Renovate Europe Day on 5 November. It scores countries in six areas, from mapping the building stock to delivering the work. It is not a legal compliance check, and only partners, policymakers and journalists can see the country pages.
The directive matters to glazing because it sets the pace of renovation. Member states must cut average primary energy use in homes by at least 16% by 2030 and by 20-22% by 2035. More than half of that cut must come from the worst-performing 43% of homes. The least efficient non-residential buildings face minimum standards from 2030.
Yet windows are largely missing from the plans meant to deliver it. In October a study backed by Glass for Europe examined 15 draft renovation plans and found none ready to deliver. For high-performance windows and solar-control glazing, “almost no measures are announced”. The association called that “worrying”, given this summer’s heatwaves and energy prices that remain high.
The timing is awkward for Europe’s glassmakers. AGC expects only a limited recovery in European shipments. The flat glass industry says it shut a quarter of its production capacity in five years.
Ireland is spending even while its legislation lags. This year its Sustainable Energy Authority opened window grants of up to €4,000 per home, plus €800 per door. It received more than 7,000 window and door applications in the first quarter. Minister of State Alan Dillon told the Dublin event that the case for building performance goes “well beyond energy savings”. Ireland remains far short of its target of 500,000 homes upgraded to a B2 energy rating by 2030.
Britain looks very different. Last month’s Budget took £1bn from Warm Homes Plan capital grants and promised no major changes to building regulations for the rest of this Parliament. Windows are not among the plan’s core measures, although the GGF argues that “energy efficiency must start with the building fabric”. The Construction Products Association expects private housing repair, maintenance and improvement work to fall 8% this year.
The EPBD does not bind Great Britain. But it shapes the Irish market next door, and it sets a benchmark that UK policy is falling behind. Brussels may be struggling to get its directive onto the statute books. At least it has one to enforce.
Why This Matters: Westminster’s £1bn cut falls mostly on heat pumps, not windows. Worse, glazing has no funded role in UK policy, so GB volumes depend on private home improvement, which the CPA forecasts will fall 8%. Ireland’s grant-backed market is the nearest opportunity, especially for Northern Ireland firms. Watch coated-glass supply: Europe’s shrunken float capacity could make any late demand surge expensive.
