On September 20th, Directive 2023/1791 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This directive revises the European Directive on Energy Efficiency 2012/27. The measure is part of the European Commission's Fit for 55 package, aimed at aligning EU climate and energy regulations with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

The main objective of the Directive is for Member States to collectively ensure a reduction in final energy consumption of at least 11.7% by 2030 compared to the 2020 scenario. This percentage translates to a maximum limit on final energy consumption in the EU of 763 million tonnes of oil equivalent and 993 million tonnes of oil equivalent for primary consumption.

Furthermore, the Directive establishes new annual energy savings targets for the final energy consumption of each nation. Energy savings must gradually increase starting from 2024, reaching 1.9% by December 31, 2030. There is a specific obligation for the public sector, which must achieve an annual reduction in energy consumption of 1.9% compared to 2021, with the possibility of excluding public transportation and the armed forces from the calculation.

In addition, Member States will be required to renovate at least 3% of the total surface area of public-owned buildings each year.

The Directive will come into force on October 10, 2023, and must then be transposed into the national legal systems of the Member States. In Italy, in particular, a measure will need to be issued to update and integrate Legislative Decree 102/2014.