(fra kommisjonsrekommandasjonen)

(1) Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) enshrines in Union law the target of economy-wide climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest and lays down a binding Union domestic commitment to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions (emissions after the deduction of removals) by at least 55 % compared to 1990 levels by 2030.

(2) The buildings sector represents around 40 % of energy use in the Union and over a third of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, energy renovation of the building stock plays a fundamental role in achieving the Union’s climate neutrality objectives, necessitating both a doubling of renovation rates (currently around 1 %) and a substantial increase in renovation depth (i.e. deliver substantial energy savings) to achieve a fully decarbonised building stock by 2050.

(3) The Action Plan for Affordable Energy (‘the action plan’) (2), adopted on 26 February 2025 as part of the Clean Industrial Deal (3), includes key actions to reduce energy costs for households and enterprises, and to help build a genuine Energy Union that delivers on competitiveness, security, decarbonisation and ensures that no one is left behind in the transition towards a climate-neutral economy. The action plan is based on four pillars and eight key actions, including a dedicated action for increasing energy efficiency and delivering energy savings, emphasising the role of energy efficiency as a key contributor to affordable energy, decarbonisation, and industrial competitiveness. To advance energy efficiency, the Commission will support market actors and financial institutions in fostering a single market for energy efficiency.

(4) The REPowerEU Plan Communication of May 2022 (4), followed by the REPowerEU Roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports (5) and the European Commission proposal for a Regulation on phasing out Russian gas imports and improving monitoring of potential energy dependencies (6) underlined the importance of saving energy, energy efficiency and renovating the building stock for meeting the EU’s energy security objectives, as well as for providing affordable and sustainable energy to all. More than half of gas consumption in Europe is destined for buildings, which means that they have a crucial role to play in Europe’s energy security and independence.

(5) Directive (EU) 2023/1791 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7) on energy efficiency (EED recast) sets an EU binding target of an 11,7 % reduction in primary and final energy consumption by 2030. This significantly raises the level of ambition for 2030 in terms of energy efficiency, including the financing for energy efficiency and support to empower and assist peoples in the energy transition.

(6) Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8) on the energy performance of buildings (EPBD recast) provides a range of measures that will help to structurally boost the energy performance of buildings, and encouraging Member States to set up a comprehensive enabling framework through accessible and transparent advisory tools and assistance instruments such as one-stop shops.

(7) Deep renovations (9), particularly those involving comprehensive improvements of building thermal insulation, have seen limited uptake despite their crucial role in achieving the Union’s energy and climate objectives.

(8) Current public policies address the demand side primarily through regulatory requirements, awareness campaigns, public subsidies, fiscal incentives, and preferential financing, which have so far proven insufficient for promoting medium and deep renovations at the necessary scale, although they have supported basic energy efficiency improvements.

(9) Article 30 of the EED recast ((EU) 2023/1791) and Article 17 of the EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275) recognise the need to deploy adequate financial and technical support to mobilise investments in energy efficiency measures and energy renovations to deliver on the 2030 energy efficiency targets and the building renovation objectives and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Article 17 of the EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275) also specifies that financial incentives should target, as a priority, vulnerable households, people affected by energy poverty and people living in social housing. In addition, in accordance with Article 9 of the EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275), compliance with minimum energy performance standards is to be supported through technical assistance and integrated financing schemes providing incentives for deep renovations and staged deep renovations, as well as measures to remove non-economic barriers.

(10) Article 7 of the Council Recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality (10) encourages Member States to mobilise public and private financial support and to provide incentives for private investments into renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, complemented by advice to consumers to better manage their energy use and to take informed decisions on saving energy.

(11) To deliver on those objectives, it is important to further mobilise private capital investments and close the investment gap. Encouraging market demand for energy efficiency and building renovations is key to attracting more businesses and investors to the energy efficiency sector.

(12) The low demand for energy renovations and energy efficiency improvements, in particular medium and deep renovations, represents a critical barrier to meeting the EU clean energy and energy efficiency objectives.

(13) Setting-up one-stop shops that provide information as well as concrete assistance to citizens all along the renovation journey is therefore key for activating and aggregating demand for energy efficiency and energy renovation investments.

(14) Households, particularly low income and vulnerable ones, face significant constraints in their renovation capacity. Those constraints include conflicting priorities in owner-tenant relationship or in the context of co-proprietorships, complex decision-making processes, a lack of time, knowledge, and financial resources, and difficulty accessing tailored advice and financial instruments.

(15) Tenants often forego benefits from renovations due to split incentives: landlords are responsible for upgrades but have little motivation to invest, because it is tenants, not landlords, who usually reap the rewards of lower energy bills and improved living conditions. Uncertainty in long-term tenancy contracts also discourages landlords from making costly improvements. Promoting trust and bridging information asymmetries through clear communication, independent advisory services, reliable contractors, energy communities and other citizens-led initiatives can help align tenant-landlord interests.

(16) The many benefits of energy renovation projects may be negatively impacted by quality defects (for example, poor-quality materials, improper installation) and a lack of coordination between the trades involved or in the order of the renovation steps, resulting in consumption or costs actually being higher than expected, or on the other end on renovations that are not as durable.

(17) One-stop shops are recognised as a crucial tool for removing the above-mentioned barriers to the energy renovation of buildings and for making renovations easier overall. They simplify on the ground access to expertise, advice, and renovation companies and financing. One-stop shops have already been set up successfully in several Member State and will reach a larger audience following the implementation of Article 18 of EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275) and Article 22 of the EED recast ((EU) 2023/1791).

(18) The widespread diffusion of networks of one-stop shops at national and local level is therefore a way to simplify implementation of EU policies, ensuring that those policies deliver results and that individuals and businesses are adequately supported.

(19) In turn, one-stop shops can play a crucial role in supporting energy efficiency in households, enterprises and the service sectors, particularly in small and microenterprises, and thus help reduce energy costs and boost the competitiveness of EU enterprises, while supporting EU energy and climate objectives.

(20) As with homeowners, small and microenterprises often lack the technical capacity and financial expertise to design and implement energy efficiency measures. They may require help to access available public incentives and private financing offers. Overall, they would benefit from tailored advice and support to build knowledge, increase awareness, and navigate the technical, financial, and administrative decisions that need to be taken to design and implement energy efficiency projects.

(21) One-stop shops can serve various functions beyond offering technical, administrative, and financial advice on energy efficiency and building renovation. They can also provide end customers and users with information and contact details on dedicated points of contact that can help them understand their rights, the relevant laws, and the mechanisms available for resolving disputes. They can offer dedicated services for vulnerable households, people affected by energy poverty and people in low-income households (11).

(22) A European Citizens’ Panel on Energy Efficiency submitted recommendations to the Commission in 2024 highlighting the key role of one-stop shops and advisory services on energy efficiency improvements (12).

(23) Article 22(4) of the EED recast ((EU) 2023/1791) requires Member States to create one-stop shops or similar mechanisms to provide technical, administrative, and financial advice and assistance on energy efficiency to final customers and final users, especially household and small non-household users, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and microenterprises. Article 22(6) of the EED recast ((EU) 2023/1791) requires the Commission to provide Member States with guidelines to develop those one-stop shops with the aim of creating a harmonised approach throughout the Union. The guidelines referred to in that provision are intended to encourage cooperation between public bodies, energy agencies and community-led initiatives.

(24) The detailed guidelines provided in the Annex to this Recommendation showcase existing one-stop shops services, models, governance structures, and experiences throughout the EU, with the aim of promoting successful best practices and common approaches throughout the EU. The detailed guidelines and this Recommendation highlight the key task of rooting one-stop shops services in the local and cultural context, make the most of cooperation with national, regional and local public bodies and energy agencies.

(25) The detailed guidelines also highlight the positive contribution of energy community or citizen-led and commercial initiatives, which can have a significant impact on top of publicly-led initiatives.

(26) Pursuant to Article 18(1) of EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275) Member States are to ensure the establishment and the operation of technical assistance facilities, including through inclusive one-stop shops for the energy performance of buildings, targeting all actors involved in building renovations, inter alia, homeowners and administrative, financial and economic actors, such as SMEs, including microenterprises. This should be done in cooperation with competent authorities, and, where appropriate, private stakeholders.

(27) In their national building renovation plans (NBRPs), as part of the overview of planned and implemented policies and measures, Member States are required to report on the creation of one-stop shops or similar mechanisms for the provision of technical, administrative and financial advice and assistance pursuant to Article 18 of the EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275).

(28) Other tools set out in the EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275) are aimed at making renovations simpler and ensuring that building owners receive trusted information about the most cost-effective solutions adapted to the specificities of their buildings and to their needs. In accordance with Article 12 of the EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275), Member States are to set up national building renovation passport schemes by 2026 to guide building owners in their staged renovations towards zero-emission buildings. In accordance with Article 19 of the EPBD recast ((EU) 2024/1275), energy performance certificates (‘EPCs’) are to include recommendations for the cost-effective improvement of the energy performance of the building. Article 19 also requires owners of buildings with a very low EPC class to be invited to a one-stop shop.

(29) Pursuant to Article 30(2) of EED recast ((EU) 2023/1791) requires the Commission is to help Member States in setting up or reinforcing the existing project development assistance facilities at national, regional or local level with the aim of increasing investment in energy efficiency. To that end, the Commission should provide assistance for, among other things, the establishment of one-stop shops to support energy efficiency interventions and energy renovations as part of the LIFE Clean Energy Transition sub-programme and the European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) Facility, or other available technical assistance facilities/initiatives.