Date: 2025-07-17Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Council Decision (EU) 2025/1432 of 8 July 2025 on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, within the EEA Joint Committee concerning an amendment to Annex IV (Energy) to the EEA Agreement (EPBD) (Text with EEA relevance)
Executive Summary:
This Council Decision concerns the EU's position within the EEA Joint Committee regarding amendments to Annex IV (Energy) of the EEA Agreement, specifically incorporating Directive EU 2018/844 on energy performance of buildings and energy efficiency. It addresses a temporary exemption for Iceland and sets the stage for future incorporation of Directive EU 2024/1275. The decision was adopted in Brussels on July 8, 2025.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Amendment of Annex IV (Energy) to the EEA Agreement:**
* Directive EU 2018/844 is to be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.
* Annex IV to the EEA Agreement is amended as detailed in Article 1 of the Draft Decision of the EEA Joint Committee.
* **Iceland's Temporary Exemption:**
* Iceland is granted a temporary and conditional exemption from applying Directive 2010/31/EU (as amended by 2018/844) due to its unique building stock.
* This exemption is strictly time-limited, applying only until Directive EU 2024/1275 is incorporated into the EEA Agreement.
* **EFTA States and Energy Efficiency Targets:**
* EFTA States are not included in the EU's 2030 energy efficiency target.
* Consequently, EFTA States are not required to specify contributions to the EU's energy efficiency target in their long-term strategies, as per Article 2a(2) of Directive 2010/31/EU.
* **EEA Joint Committee Decision Implementation:**
* Specific adaptations are outlined for Articles 2a(2), 8, 14(4), and 15(4) of Directive 2010/31/EU regarding EFTA States.
* The text of Directive EU 2018/844 in Icelandic and Norwegian will be published in the EEA Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union.
* **Entry into Force:**
* The Decision enters into force upon completion of notifications under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement, or on the entry into force of Decision No. 6 incorporating Directive 2012/27/EU, whichever is later.
Impact Analysis:
EEA Joint Committee:
* Impact: Must formally adopt the decision amending Annex IV of the EEA Agreement.
* Action Required: Implement the changes to Annex IV as outlined in the decision.
EFTA States (Specifically Iceland):
* Impact: Iceland benefits from a temporary exemption but must prepare for the eventual incorporation of Directive EU 2024/1275.
* Action Required: Iceland must continue to assess the impact of incorporating Directive EU 2024/1275 and develop a legislative framework for its implementation.
European Union:
* Impact: The EU ensures alignment of EEA member states with EU energy efficiency policies and regulations.
* Action Required: Monitor the implementation of the amended Annex IV within the EEA and provide support as needed.
Icelandic and Norwegian Language Authorities:
* Impact: Responsible for the authentic texts of Directive EU 2018/844.
* Action Required: Ensure publication in the EEA Supplement to the Official Journal.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
EEA Joint Committee: The joint committee responsible for amending the EEA Agreement.
Annex IV Energy to the EEA Agreement: The specific annex to the EEA Agreement that pertains to energy-related regulations and directives.
Directive EU 2018/844: A directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency.
Directive 2010/31/EU: A directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings.
Directive 2012/27/EU: A directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy efficiency.
Iceland: An island country in the North Atlantic. It is granted a temporary and conditional exemption from applying Directive 2010/31/EU.
EEA Agreement: The Agreement on the European Economic Area.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/1432 17.7.2025
COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2025/1432
of 8 July 2025
on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, within the EEA Joint Committee
concerning an amendment to Annex IV (Energy) to the EEA Agreement (EPBD)
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 194(2) in conjunction with
Article 218(9) thereof,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2894/94 of 28 November 1994 concerning arrangements for implementing
the Agreement on the European Economic Area(1), and in particular Article 1(3) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1) The Agreement on the European Economic Area(2) (the ‘EEA Agreement’) entered into force on 1 January 1994.
(2) Pursuant to Article 98 of the EEA Agreement, the EEA Joint Committee may decide to amend, inter alia, Annex IV
(Energy) to the EEA Agreement.
(3) Directive (EU) 2018/844 amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive
2012/27/EU on energy efficiency(3) should be incorporated into the EEA Agreement.
(4) The conditions for a temporary and conditional exemption for Iceland from applying Directive 2010/31/EU of the
European Parliament and of the Council(4) continue to be in place, due to Iceland’s relatively recent and uniform
building stock. The exemption should be strictly limited in time and should only apply until Directive (EU)
2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council(5) has been incorporated into the EEA Agreement.
(5) Annex IV (Energy) to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6) The position of the Union within the EEA Joint Committee should therefore be based on the attached draft decision,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The position to be adopted, on behalf of the Union, within the EEA Joint Committee on the proposed amendment of
Annex IV (Energy) to the EEA Agreement, shall be based on the draft decision of the EEA Joint Committee attached to this
Decision.
(1) OJ L 305, 30.11.1994, p. 6, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1994/2894/oj.
(2) OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/1994/1/oj.
(3) Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2010/31/EU on the
energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency (OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 75, ELI: http://data.
europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/844/oj).
(4) Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings (OJ
L 153 18.6.2010, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/31/oj).
(5) Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on the energy performance of buildings
(OJ L, 2024/1275, 8.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1432/oj 1/5EN
OJ L, 17.7.2025
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
Done at Brussels, 8 July 2025.
For the Council
The President
S. LOSE
2/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1432/ojEN
OJ L, 17.7.2025
DRAFT
DECISION OF THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE
No …
of …
amending Annex IV (Energy) to the EEA Agreement
THE EEA JOINT COMMITTEE,
Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (‘the EEA Agreement’), and in particular Article 98
thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive
2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency(1) is to be
incorporated into the EEA Agreement.
(2) The EFTA States are not included in the Union’s 2030 headline target for energy efficiency in accordance with
Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing
Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC(2)as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/2002 of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 11 December 2018 amending Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency(3). Consequently, the
EFTA States shall not specify how they contribute to achieving the Union’s energy efficiency target in their respective
long-term strategies in Article 2a(2) of Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of
19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings (recast)(4) as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/844.
(3) Due to the specificities of Iceland’s relatively recent and uniform building stock, a temporary and conditional
exemption from applying Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings is agreed. That exemption
should apply to Directive 2010/31/EU as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/844. The exemption should be strictly
limited in time and should apply only until Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 24 April 2024 on the Energy Performance in Buildings (recast)(5)has been incorporated into the EEA Agreement.
(4) Annex IV to the EEA Agreement should therefore be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Annex IV to the EEA Agreement is amended as follows:
1. Point 17 (Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council) shall be amended as follows:
(i) the following is added:
‘, as amended by:
— 32018 L 0844: Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 (OJ
L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 75).’;
(ii) adaptation (d) shall be renumbered as adaptation (g); adaptation (c) is renumbered as adaptation (e); adaptation (b)
shall be renumbered as adaptation (c);
(iii) the following adaptation shall be inserted after adaptation (a):
(1) OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 75.
(2) OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p. 210.
(4) OJ L 153, 18.6.2010, p. 13.
(5) OJ L, 2024/1275, 8.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1275/oj.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1432/oj 3/5EN
OJ L, 17.7.2025
‘(b) In Article 2a(2), the words “, and specify how they contribute to achieving the Union’s energy efficiency targets
in accordance with Directive 2012/27/EU” shall not apply to the EFTA States.’;
(iv) the following adaptation shall be inserted after adaptation (c):
‘(d) In Article 8:
(i) in paragraph 3, the words “, or, as regards the EFTA States, by [five years] after the entry into force of
Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No …/… of … [this Decision]” shall be inserted after the words
“1 January 2025”;
(ii) in paragraph 6, the words “or, or as regards the EFTA States, one year after the entry into force of Decision
of the EEA Joint Committee No …/… of … [this Decision]” shall be inserted after the words “10 March
2021”.’;
(v) the following adaptation is inserted after adaptation (e):
‘(f) In Articles 14(4) and 15(4), the words “, or, as regards the EFTA States, five years after the entry into force of
Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No …/… of … [this Decision]” shall be inserted after the word “2025”.’.
2. The following indent is added in point 24 (Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council):
‘— 32018 L 0844: Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 (OJ L 156,
19.6.2018, p. 75).’.
Article 2
The text of Directive (EU) 2018/844 in the Icelandic and Norwegian languages, to be published in the EEA Supplement to
the Official Journal of the European Union, shall be authentic.
Article 3
This Decision shall enter into force on … , provided that all the notifications under Article 103(1) of the EEA Agreement
have been made(*), or on the day of the entry into force of Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No …/… of …(6)
[incorporating {Directive 2012/27/EU} into the EEA Agreement], whichever is the later.
Article 4
This Decision shall be published in the EEA Section of, and in the EEA Supplement to, the Official Journal of the European
Union.
Done at …, …
For the EEA Joint Committee
The President
The Secretaries
To the EEA Joint Committee
(*) [No constitutional requirements indicated.] [Constitutional requirements indicated.]
(6) OJ L, …, ELI: …
4/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1432/ojEN
OJ L, 17.7.2025
Declaration by the Government of Iceland to Decision No …
incorporating Directive (EU) 2018/844 of the European Parliament and of the Council into the
Agreement
[for adoption with the Decision and for publication in the OJ]
Iceland expresses its commitment to work towards assessing the incorporation of Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on the energy performance of buildings (recast) into the EEA
Agreement.
Iceland has not implemented any previous versions of the EU energy performance in buildings acquis. Iceland’s unique
characteristics, such as a relatively recent and uniform building stock, extensive use of renewable heating, and climatic
conditions that differ substantially from many EU Member States call for a thorough assessment of the impact of
incorporating the Directive and any adaptations necessary for its implementation in Iceland. Furthermore, any
implementation of the Directive will require the development of a completely new legislative framework in Iceland.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1432/oj 5/5