European energy performance of buildings directive and cultural heritage

Year: 2026
Authors: Alexandrou, Eleni / Berggren, Kersti / Bourgès, Ann / Broström, Tor / Brito, Nelson da Silva / Bruguerolle, Antoine / Donnelly, Jacqui / Erikkson, Petra / Foster, Jez / González-Longo, Cristina / Gould, Anthony / Hughes, David / Huttunen, Marku / Haas, Franziska / Karamyan, Anna / McDermott, Deirdre / Mirouze, Chloé / Paulus, Ave / Pissarides, Chrysanthos / Radivojević, Ana / Shaffrey, Gráinne / Silvestru, Claudiu / Stoškus, Liutauras / Villalba Montaner, Clara
Source: ICOMOS Expert Group on EPBD Implementation
Type: European legislation, Legislation, Literature, Papers
Topic: Best practices, Capacity-building, Case Studies, Climate Adaptation, Energy Efficiency, Heritage Conservation, Policy & Governance, Retrofitting, Sustainability
Region: Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, other Regions, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Kingdom
Language: English

This report summarises the work of the ICOMOS Expert Group on the Implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in the Built Heritage Sector, established in 2023 to evaluate the impact of the EPBD recast on Europe’s historic buildings.
Adopted under the European Green Deal, the recast Directive introduces Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), Zero-Emission Building (ZEB) targets, and life-cycle carbon assessment obligations. These measures represent a significant step towards climate neutrality, but they also present complex challenges for culturally and architecturally significant buildings.
The Expert Group gathered evidence from over nineteen EU and non-EU countries through national fact sheets, thematic analyses, and case studies. Executive summary distills the main findings, strategic recommendations, and future priorities emerging from this research.

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