Policy Briefs

Availability and access to funding for building renovation through the ‘Fit for 55’ package, European Structural and Investment Funds, and National Recovery Plans

To mitigate energy poverty and enhance the well-being of European citizens and residents, the EU has committed to actions focusing on improving energy efficiency. It is nevertheless a great challenge ahead. There is a lack of capacity and knowledge about renovation opportunities and how to access them and evidence-based guidance on investments in affordable housing to promote social inclusivity.

The magnitude of the issue of energy poverty in the EU is challenging, and it must support energy transition efforts without exacerbating existing social inequalities. In this context, the energy-efficient renovation has an important role to play and retrofit toolkits as the EU funded HEART project demonstrated that even energy-efficient retrofit of windows in a building could reduce the annual heating demand by about 16%.

Finding new – more affordable, and quicker – ways to renovate is crucial. Firstly, the way forward is the efficient implementation of EU Regulation, and the European Commission should ensure that the Member States set up measures to ensure affordability.