The European Commission has decided to initiate infringement procedures, sending letters of delay to 26 member states, including Romania, because they have not communicated the full transposition of EU Directive 1791 from 2023 on energy efficiency, informs a press release of the Community Executive.
The EU requires Romania to fully transpose the Energy Efficiency Directive. Pixabay photo
The states that received letters are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
The directive was adopted in 2023 and member states had to notify its transposition by 11 October 2025, except for special provisions such as reporting, which have specific deadlines.
The new regulations establish the mandatory objective of recording an overall reduction in the EU of final energy consumption of 11.7% by 2030 (compared to 2020 projections).
The Directive also requires EU member states to ensure that the public sector leads by example, reducing its own final energy consumption by 1.9% each year (compared to the 2021 level) and at least 3% of public buildings are renovated annually.
The new regulations also promote the creation of “operational one-stop shops” at national level, which are mechanisms through which free advice, guidance and practical support are provided for measures aimed at renovations and energy efficiency, making the process easier, especially for vulnerable households and those living in the lowest energy-performing buildings.
Member States must ensure that data centers report information on energy efficiency. The directive promotes energy efficiency services, including through specialized companies and innovative financing solutions.
So far, only the Czech Republic has notified the full transposition of the Directive by the legal deadline.
The Commission is therefore sending letters of formal notice to the remaining 26 Member States. They now have two months to respond, complete transposition and notify their measures to the Commission. In the absence of a satisfactory answer, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.
