The Concerted Action EPBD

About the project

The Concerted Action EPBD (CA EPBD) addresses the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). It aims to contribute to the reduction of energy use in European buildings through the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the field of energy efficiency and energy savings between all 27 EU member states plus Norway.

What is the Concerted Action EPBD?

The CA EPBD is a joint initiative between the EU member states and the European Commission. It involves representatives of national ministries or their affiliated institutions who are in charge of preparing the technical, legal and administrative framework for the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in each EU member state plus Norway. The objective is to enhance the sharing of information and experiences from national adoption and implementation of this important European legislation.

Participating countries and organisations

 

CA EPBD was officially launched in 2005 and came to a close in June 2007. A second phase followed immediately after and was followed by a third phase from 2011 to 2015, a fourth phase from 2015 to 2018 and a fifth phase from 1 May 2018 to 31 October 2022. The current sixth phase officially commenced in November 2022 and will run until 31 October 2027 with the aim to transpose and implement the EPBD amended Directive 2018/844/EU and the revised EPBD adopted in 2024.

Did you know that

35%

of EU's energy-related greenhouse gas emissions come from the buildings sector (European Environment Agency, Eurostat, 2021)

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

The EPBD is a cornerstone in EU legislation and was developed to realise the energy saving potential in buildings as they account for around 40% of the consumption of energy in the EU. Full and efficient transposition of this directive is therefore central to achieving EU energy savings and carbon emission targets.

The EPBD is considered a significant legislative component in EU energy efficiency policy and was adopted in 2002 to contribute to the Kyoto commitment and securing energy supply and competitiveness. 

First adopted in 2012, the EPDB was updated in 2010 and 2018 and most recently in 2024 to achieve a highly energy efficient and decarbonised building stock by 2050.

Read more about the EPBD here

 

What our participants say

Our participants generally rate the plenary meetings and individual sessions favourably. 

About CA EPBD

 When I come back from the CA EPBD plenary meetings, I feel energised. It is great to talk to colleagues in the other member states, who experience many of the same challenges we do and can offer a different perspective or new ideas. 

- National Expert

 

The informal discussions with the Commission help us get a much deeper understanding of the directive.

- National Coordinator

Plenary meetings are held twice a year and are closed, confidential meetings attended by the EU Member State experts appointed by the CA EPBD National Contact Points and representatives from the Commission. 

Organisation and activities

The Danish Energy Agency is the overall coordinator of the CA EPBD. The work is further organised around topics and Central Teams (CT) led by Central Team Managers.  The Coordinator, Communication and Dissemination Manager, Central Team Managers and representatives from CINEA, the projector sponsor, form the Management Team responsible for the project and organisation of work streams and deliverables and topics for the Plenary Meetings in the CA EPBD.

The plenary meetings, which are the foundation of information exchange in the CA EPBD, regularly bring together over 120-150 participants. It is accompanied by other measures to faciliate information exchange and enhance communication, including a web platform and national reports.

Topics and central teams 

Co-funded by the EU Life programme

The CA EPBD is co-funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) through the Life Programme.

The Life programme is the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action.

The Life Programme