EU Old Buildings Energy Directive Formally Repealed; Green Deal Renovation Wave Binding Across Member States

The original Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Directive 2010/31/EU) was formally repealed on May 30, 2026, the day after the mandatory transposition deadline for its successor. With all 27 member states now legally bound by the revised EPBD (Directive EU/2024/1275), the EU's Renovation Wave — a central pillar of the European Green Deal — entered a new implementation phase. The EPBD establishes the legal architecture for Europe's building decarbonisation: zero-emission standards for new construction by 2030, minimum energy performance standards for the worst-performing existing buildings, and mandatory solar installations on public and commercial buildings by 2027. Buildings account for 40% of EU energy consumption. The Commission's technical assessment notes that up to 75% of EU buildings were built before energy efficiency standards existed, representing the largest single renovation challenge in EU history.