Existing buildings in EU countries will be legally required to meet minimum energy standards for the first time by 2027 under draft regulations set to be published next week.
From 2027, buildings will need to meet energy performance class E to be sold or rented out, and class C by January 2033.
The proposed laws are laid out in a draft European Union directive scheduled for publication on 14 December, which was leaked to Euractiv.
"Each member state shall establish minimum energy performance standards which lead to the renovation of existing buildings," said the document.
"The standards shall apply at the latest from 2027. By [2035], the entire national building stock shall be covered by minimum energy performance standards," it added. The draft directive also demands that by 2030 all new structures must be "zero-emission" ? with public buildings required to hit this standard by 2027.
If passed, the directive would replace existing long-term building renovation strategies with new strengthened action plans aimed at getting building stocks to hit zero-emission standards by 2050.

Read: EU proposes emissions controls for buildings and transport in drive to become "world's first climate-neutral continent"

"Each member state shall establish a building renovation action plan to promote the renovation of the national stock of residential and non-residential buildings, both public and pr...