The new Flemish government is set to relax the renovation requirements for residential buildings, according to the coalition agreement between N-VA, Vooruit, and CD&V.
The renovation requirement will be limited to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D, abandoning previous plans to tighten the standards.
Previously, the goal was for all houses to achieve an EPC rating of A by 2040 and all apartments by 2045. For non-residential buildings the renovation requirement remains, with a deadline set for 2050.
The Flemish construction federation, Bouwunie, has had mixed reactions to the announcement. In a statement, Bouwunie President Jean-Pierre Waeytens said, “In the short term, this provides more financial breathing room for consumers. But long-term, optimising renovation requirements is necessary to meet climate goals. Better renovations lead to better energy savings and lower costs.”
Bouwunie maintains that more ambitious certification targets should be kept for property renovations. They encourage individuals to adopt personalised renovation plans, outlining steps to achieve better than a D rating within 10 to 15 years, presented within two years of property purchase.
Despite the relaxed requirements, the new government affirms that the renovation of the Flemish property stock remains a “cornerstone of its policy.”
The government also plans to implement a “budget-neutral Flemish tax shift,” aimed at making electricity progressively cheaper at the expense of fossil fuels and promoting the purchase of heat pumps.
