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EPBD Revised 2024 Explained: MEPS, Timeline and National Transposition

Full guide to the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2024/1275: MEPS, renovation passports, the 16% worst-performing rule and how each Member State transposes it.

May 20, 202612 min

EPBD Revised 2024 Explained: MEPS, Timeline and National Transposition

Directive (EU) 2024/1275 — the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) — is the single most important piece of European housing legislation of the decade. Published in the Official Journal on 8 May 2024 and entering into force on 28 May 2024, it sets the binding trajectory by which the EU's residential building stock must reach zero-emission status by 2050. Member States had until 29 May 2026 to transpose the bulk of its provisions into national law (European Commission — Energy performance of buildings directive).

For homeowners, landlords and prospective buyers across the 27 EU Member States — and indirectly the UK, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland — the revised EPBD changes three things at once: it tightens minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for the residential stock; it forces every Member State to deploy renovation passports and one-stop shops by 2026-2027; and it phases out stand-alone fossil-fuel boilers by 2040. It also conditions a growing share of national subsidies — MaPrimeRénov', KfW BEG, Ecobonus, ISDE, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme — on alignment with the directive's class-jump and emissions logic.

This guide unpacks what the recast actually requires, what the national transposition deadlines look like in 2026, and how the directive is already reshaping renovation grants in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK.

Table of contents

What is the EPBD revised 2024?

The EPBD recast is Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on the energy performance of buildings. It replaces Directive 2010/31/EU as amended and consolidates the EU "Renovation Wave" strategy launched in October 2020 (European Commission — Renovation Wave).

The directive's stated objective is to reach a fully decarbonised building stock by 2050 while reducing average primary energy use in residential buildings by 16% by 2030 and 20-22% by 2035 compared with 2020 levels. To do so, it imposes obligations of three types:

  1. Performance standards for new construction (zero-emission buildings from 2030 for residential, 2028 for public buildings).
  2. Renovation obligations for existing residential and non-residential stock, expressed both as average primary-energy reductions and as targeted action on the worst-performing 16% then 26% of the stock.
  3. Enabling tools: renovation passports, mandatory one-stop shops, harmonised Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), EU-wide A-G scale alignment by 2026, and integrated solar/EV/charging requirements.

The directive is a directive of minimum harmonisation — Member States can go further, but cannot transpose below the EU floor.

Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for residential buildings

The 2024 recast replaces the original Commission proposal of class-based MEPS for residential buildings (the politically charged "every home to class E by 2030, D by 2033" idea of 2022) with a stock-wide primary-energy reduction trajectory plus a targeted obligation on the worst-performing buildings.

For the residential stock, Article 9(1) requires each Member State to ensure that:

  • Average primary energy use of residential buildings drops by at least 16% by 2030 compared with the 2020 baseline.
  • Average primary energy use drops by 20-22% by 2035.
  • At least 55% of the energy-use reduction is achieved by renovating the worst-performing buildings (broadly the lowest two EPC classes in each Member State).
  • The trajectory aims at a zero-emission residential stock by 2050.

For non-residential buildings, Member States must apply explicit MEPS thresholds:

  • All non-residential buildings must be above the worst-performing 16% by 2030.
  • All non-residential buildings must be above the worst-performing 26% by 2033.

This is the famous "16/26 rule". For residential buildings, the equivalent trigger is the trajectory and the implicit obligation to act first on F and G class homes — every National Building Renovation Plan submitted in 2026 must explain how the country will reach this. See the European Commission EPBD page and the consolidated text on EUR-Lex.

The renovation timeline: E → D → C and the 16% worst-performing rule

Even though the residential MEPS are expressed as primary-energy reductions, the A to G class-jump logic remains the operational language used by national governments. Most Member States are translating the EU trajectory into national class-based targets in their National Building Renovation Plans (NBRPs) due in 2026:

Milestone Residential stock obligation Non-residential MEPS
1 January 2028 New public buildings: zero-emission All new buildings: solar-ready where technically feasible
1 January 2030 All new buildings zero-emission; -16% primary energy vs 2020 Worst-performing 16% must be renovated
1 January 2033 NBRP milestone; class-jump trajectory Worst-performing 26% must be renovated
1 January 2035 -20 to -22% primary energy vs 2020 Continued tightening
2040 Phase-out of stand-alone fossil-fuel boilers (no public subsidies from 1 Jan 2025; full phase-out by 2040) Idem
2050 Zero-emission residential stock Zero-emission non-residential stock

The 2025 cut-off on fossil-fuel boiler subsidies is already binding: from 1 January 2025, Member States may no longer grant public subsidies for the installation of stand-alone fossil-fuel boilers (Article 17). Hybrid systems combining a heat pump with a small gas boiler remain eligible. Italy has already implemented this exclusion in its Legge di Bilancio 2025, and Germany has aligned its KfW 458 programme accordingly (see KfW Heizungsförderung 458).

Impact on homeowners and landlords

The EPBD recast is silent on most direct consumer obligations — it leaves implementation to Member States — but it sets the cadence within which national rules will tighten. For an owner-occupier or a landlord, the four practical consequences are:

1. EPC harmonisation and renovation passports

By 29 May 2026, Member States must overhaul their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) systems so that the A-G scale converges on a common EU template built around primary energy use, CO₂ emissions and renewable share. By 2026-2027 at the latest, every Member State must also offer renovation passports — voluntary, step-by-step roadmaps that show the owner the optimal sequence of works to reach a high EPC class while preserving cumulability with subsidies (European Commission — One-stop shops).

In Germany, the renovation passport is implemented through the individueller Sanierungsfahrplan (iSFP), which already triggers a +5 percentage-point bonus on BAFA's BEG EM subsidies (BAFA — Energieberatung Wohngebäude). In France, the Mon Accompagnateur Rénov' scheme plays the same role and is now compulsory for the parcours accompagné of MaPrimeRénov' (Décret 2025-956).

2. Tighter coupling between subsidies and class-jump performance

National subsidies are increasingly conditioned on the EPC class jump rather than on a per-measure list. The French parcours accompagné requires a 2-class jump for the entry-level grant, with a higher rate for a 3- or 4-class jump. Italy's Conto Termico 3.0 retains a per-measure logic but Ecobonus is tightened around prima casa rules. The Netherlands' ISDE doubles the per-measure grant if two insulation measures are combined within 24 months (RVO — Isolatiemaatregelen). All of these are direct consequences of the EPBD's class-jump emphasis.

3. Landlords: rental restrictions on worst-performing properties

Several Member States have already introduced rental bans on G-class properties ahead of the EPBD recast. France banned the rental of G-class homes from 1 January 2025 under the loi Climat et Résilience of 22 August 2021, with class F to follow in 2028 and class E in 2034. Flanders (Belgium) requires landlords to renovate to label D within 5 years of purchase under the Renovatieverplichting, with the trajectory tightening to label A by 2045. The recast EPBD will harmonise these national restrictions around the worst-performing 16% logic.

4. Phasing out fossil boilers — and the 2040 cliff

Article 17 of the recast EPBD requires Member States to stop subsidising stand-alone fossil-fuel boilers from 1 January 2025 and to phase them out completely by 2040. From 2025, Italy already excludes condensing gas boilers from Ecobonus eligibility except as factory-made hybrids (Cose di Casa — Ecobonus 2026 aliquote). The UK's Boiler Upgrade Scheme has been fossil-free since inception and the German KfW 458 follows the same logic. France has now extended this principle: from 1 September 2026, the parcours accompagné of MaPrimeRénov' will refuse to fund packages that retain a gas boiler as primary heater (Hellio — parcours accompagné 2026).

Other key obligations: solar, fossil boiler phase-out, EV charging

The recast also introduces several building-as-a-system requirements that intersect with renovation grants:

  • Solar-ready buildings (Article 10): by 2026 for all new public buildings >250 m², 2027 for non-residential >500 m², 2028 for residential undergoing major renovation, where technically and economically feasible.
  • Smart-readiness indicator (SRI) — voluntary for most Member States, but increasingly tied to subsidies (Germany's BEG EM includes it via the "Efficiency Smart Home" line).
  • EV-charging pre-equipment for new residential buildings and major renovations with >3 parking spots.
  • Indoor environmental quality baseline values starting in 2026 NBRPs.

These obligations explain the recent expansion of subsidy scopes — for instance the new 400 € ISDE ventilation premium in the Netherlands from 2026 (RVO — Wijzigingen 2026) and France's mandatory ventilation review under MaPrimeRénov' parcours accompagné.

National transposition: FR, DE, BE, IT, ES, NL and UK alignment

France

France is one of the most ambitious transposers. The loi Climat et Résilience of 22 August 2021 already anticipates most EPBD targets through:

  • A renovation obligation on the worst-performing private rentals (G in 2025, F in 2028, E in 2034).
  • The MaPrimeRénov' parcours accompagné centred on class-jump performance (economie.gouv.fr — MaPrimeRénov').
  • An EPC reform finalised in 2024 with a more conservative DPE methodology.

From 1 September 2026, MaPrimeRénov' will further restrict eligibility for packages retaining a gas boiler — a direct anticipation of Article 17. France's NBRP is due by mid-2026 and will include a binding trajectory aligned with the -16% / -22% primary-energy targets.

Germany

The Gebäudeenergiegesetz (GEG) underpins the German transposition. The "65% renewable rule" for new heating systems entered into force on 1 January 2024, with progressive extension to existing buildings according to municipal heat planning (BMWE — FAQ GEG). The new Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz (GModG) approved by the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition in February 2026 will replace the GEG by 1 July 2026 (Bundesregierung — Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz), introducing a technology-neutral approach with a "bio-scale" for gas and oil from 2029.

On the subsidy side, KfW 458 and BAFA BEG EM are fully aligned with Article 17: no fossil-only boiler is subsidised, hybrid systems are eligible only as factory-made packages, and the iSFP renovation passport unlocks higher grants (BAFA — Richtlinie BEG EM).

Belgium — Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels

The three Belgian regions transpose the EPBD independently, with Flanders the most aggressive. The Renovatieverplichting requires non-residential buyers from 2022 and residential buyers from 2023 to reach EPC label D within 5 years of purchase, then label C by 2030, B by 2040 and A by 2045. Wallonia and Brussels have similar but staggered trajectories. All three regions are revising their PEB methodology and EPC scale in 2026 to fit the harmonised EU template.

Italy

Italy's transposition combines fiscal levers (Ecobonus, Bonus Casa, Sismabonus) with the new Conto Termico 3.0 (DM 7 agosto 2025, operational since 25 December 2025; GSE — Conto Termico 3.0). The Italian government has fully aligned with Article 17 by excluding stand-alone fossil boilers from all tax credits since 1 January 2025 (Agenzia delle Entrate — la misura della detrazione). The residual Superbonus 110% survives only in the seismic crater of Central Italy (Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche, Umbria).

Spain

Spain transposes the EPBD primarily through Real Decreto 853/2021 (rehabilitación residencial, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Facility) and through autonomous community programmes. RD 853/2021 was extended by Real Decreto 326/2026 of 22 April 2026 (Iberley — RD 326/2026). Spain's NBRP is due in mid-2026 and is expected to incorporate the 16/26 worst-performing logic.

Netherlands

The Dutch Nationaal Isolatieprogramma (NIP) targets 2.5 million homes by 2030, with €4 billion of public investment over the decade and €300 million unlocked in April 2026 (Leefbaar en Veilig — Kabinet maakt €300 miljoen vrij). The ISDE subsidy is fully aligned with the EPBD's fossil-boiler phase-out and now requires combination of insulation measures to maximise grants (RVO — Isolatiemaatregelen).

United Kingdom — alignment without obligation

The UK is no longer bound by EU directives post-Brexit, but it has chosen to align voluntarily on most EPBD principles. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) is structurally compatible with Article 17 — it only funds non-fossil heat sources. The UK has also published its Warm Homes Plan in January 2026 with a similar logic of class-jump targeting and stock-wide primary energy reduction. The grants up to £7,500 for air-source and ground-source heat pumps were extended until 2030 in the June 2025 Spending Review (Ofgem — Boiler Upgrade Scheme).

FAQ

Does the EPBD revised 2024 force me to renovate my home? Not directly. The directive sets national stock-wide trajectories, not individual obligations. However, Member States are translating these into rental restrictions (France, Belgium), subsidy conditions (Germany, Italy) and EPC-based property transactions (Netherlands).

When does the F-class rental ban kick in? In France: G class banned since 1 January 2025; F class will follow on 1 January 2028; E class on 1 January 2034 (loi Climat et Résilience). Other Member States vary.

Can I still install a gas boiler in 2026? Yes — but you cannot receive public subsidies for it (Article 17, applicable since 1 January 2025). Hybrid heat-pump+gas systems remain eligible if factory-made. By 2040, stand-alone fossil boilers will be banned entirely.

What's the difference between the 2018 EPBD and the 2024 recast? The 2018 directive (2018/844) introduced long-term renovation strategies and the 0-emission building concept for new public buildings. The 2024 recast adds binding stock-wide MEPS, the 16/26 worst-performing rule, renovation passports, solar-ready obligations and the fossil-boiler phase-out trajectory.

Where can I check my country's National Building Renovation Plan? By Q3 2026, each Member State must publish its NBRP on its Climate & Energy ministry website and notify it to the Commission via the BUILD UP portal.

Conclusion

The EPBD revised 2024 is the legal backbone for a decade of accelerating renovation across Europe. By 2030, the residential stock must consume 16% less primary energy than in 2020; by 2050, it must be zero-emission. Member States — France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and (voluntarily) the UK — are aligning their national subsidies, rental laws and EPC frameworks around this trajectory. For homeowners and landlords, the practical takeaways are clear: do not invest in stand-alone fossil heating, prioritise insulation packages that deliver a class jump, and use a national renovation passport (iSFP, MAR, audit énergétique) to unlock the highest grant rates.

To find the right grants in your country and simulate your renovation pathway, visit our country pages — /en/pays/fr, /en/pays/de, /en/pays/it, /en/pays/uk — or jump straight to the simulator: /en/simulateur/fr.

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