Commission Launches Public Consultation on Energy Performance Directive
The European Commission has launched an online public consultation on the “recasting” of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) that was adopted in 2002. The “recasting” of the EPBD has been rumoured for some time and appeared in the Commission Energy Action Plan adopted in 2007 after the seminal Council meeting of the 8th and 9th March that marked a turning point in the attitude of the EU to the growing concerns surrounding climate change and energy security. Given that the EPBD itself has not yet been transposed in all Member States, it is unusual to open a consultation that aims to gather inputs for the revision of the text of the directive.
Nevertheless, this is a welcome development as the ACE and many other actors in the construction sector are convinced that certain modifications to the text of the directive will significantly assist the EU to achieve the targets that it has set itself in relation to reducing, for example, its CO2 emissions. A matter that is receiving particular attention in the debates around the “recasting” of the EPBD is the idea that the threshold for the inclusion of buildings undergoing major renovation should be reduced below the current limit of 1,000m2.
The deadline for the online consultation document was set on the 20th June:
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/demand/consultations/buildings_dir_en.htm
Green Public Procurement: Commission Publishes Toolkit
 The European Commission has been working for some time on Green Public Procurement. It sees great potential for a positive impact on the quality of procurement and a consequential reduction on the environmental impact of procurement in this approach. It has therefore identified a group of training tools (in English only) that are available online and that address the full range of issues that must be taken into account in procurement procedures.
Of particular note is the module that the Commission has devised for the construction sector, which looks specifically at what can be done to ensure that buildings are procured with life cycle costing and environmental impact in mind. The toolkit includes model clauses that can be use in calls for tender and gives guidance and up-to-date information on the environmental impact of building materials. Its contents echo many of the concerns that the ACE has articulated over the years and could have a strong impact if implemented as suggested in the toolkit.
To access the toolkit, including the elements that affect construction, go to:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/toolkit_en.htm
 ACE Matters
Changes in the ACE Member Organisations
Since the last edition of ACE Info, the Secretariat has received a notification about a change in the Presidency of one of its Member Organisations as follows:
The Association of Consulting Architects (ACA) in Norway elected Eva Paulshus as its new President. She replaces Gunnar Naess in the post and she took office on the 8th May last. She will also become the Head of Delegation for the ACA in the General Assemblies of the ACE. To find out more about the ACA, go to:
http://www.arkitektbedriftene.no/
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