Ecofin, the meeting of economic ministers of the EU states, approved the final text of the Eco Green Directive with Italy and Hungary voting against. Member States will therefore have to transpose the objectives into national law within 2 years. The Directive provides various objectives relating to the improvement of energy performance in buildings, with the reduction of greenhouse gases and energy consumption by 2030, and climate neutrality by 2050.
The first objectives however remain a reduction in the average primary energy used by at least 16% by 2030 and a decrease in the average primary energy used by at least 20-22% by 2035. Gas or gas boilers will no longer be incentivised. fossil fuels starting from 2025.
Dino De Santispresident of Confartigianato Imprese Turin sees in this new European provision an opportunity for businesses, but believes that “in Italy, with 9 million properties to comply with the directive, several application problems will emerge. The conversion of the directive on Eco Green homes requires the Government to solve a major problem: citizens’ lack of resources to renovate their real estate.”
Piedmont has an old and energy-intensive real estate heritage, over 50% of the buildings in Turin are more than 45 years old and the majority of residential buildings in Piedmont fall into the lowest energy bands, this means that in Piedmont a property needs to be renovated out of two.
In this context, the evolution of the real estate market after 2035, already conditioned by the demographic decline, will certainly be influenced not only by a decrease in demand, but also by the disappearance of assumptions linked to the family economy which up to now has frequently been supported by retired citizens.
“The overlap of these factors must ensure that the Government opens a discussion table with the trade associations, before the conversion of the directive -proposes De Santis – to allow planning some lines of intervention. First of all, the State should institutionalize incentives for renovations in a percentage higher than the one currently foreseen of 50%. Furthermore, it should ensure that sanctions are not imposed on those who do not intend to renovate their properties”.
“It must necessarily be taken into account – adds the number one of Confartigianato Torino – of sections of the population over the age of seventy to renovate their property when the assets at their disposal could be used to pay for old age care or even a retirement home. An exemption system should therefore be provided for in the application of the directive to all homeowners over the age of seventy at least until 2050”.
“If renovating a house automatically became an obligation – continues De Santis – those who inherit properties, in most cases, could lose a good part of the savings left by their parents just to renovate, therefore the possibility of selling the property without renovating it must be foreseen. Obviously this would lead to a sale of the houses, in class F or class G, at a price lower than the market, if not almost halved. For this reason, a tax measure should be envisaged that allows the citizen to deduct, in 10 years, from the Irpef due to the State, the capital loss obtained from the sale of the property below the market price.”
“We must share with the Government as soon as possible – concludes the president of Confartigianato Torino – of the lines of action that allow our artisans to work according to the new European provisions, without this leading to a generalized impoverishment of the population due to the drastic decrease in assets with the sole intention of applying a European provision on energy efficiency”.
