The upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) beyond 2020 is a unique opportunity for the EU to examine the functioning of its funding system and propose solutions to unlock barriers, with the aim to fully deploy public and private financing to improve the quality of life of its people.

The upcoming MFF will be the first one after a series of crucial political agreements regarding the European Union’s future climate change and energy policy.  In this discussion paper, BPIE calls for the need to operationalize the transition to a clean and sustainable future for Europe and argues that buildings, despite being critical in reducing energy dependency, are not yet acknowledged as an essential infrastructure. Also, funds for renovation are not earn-marketed and allocated accordingly.

Consequently, BPIE presents 5 principles to deliver the EU climate priorities (including building renovation):

• Eligibility and conditionality consistent with the Paris agreement for all funds
• Investments for demand-side infrastructure recognized as a strategic priority
• Accessibility and availability
• Flexibility, aggregation and blending
• Coherence

The points focus on the need for the revision to not be limited to a discussion around net beneficiaries, total cap of the future multi-annual budget and on the total amounts allocated to each, but instead to the assessment and revision of eligibility conditions, accessibility and availability of the funds. Where in the case of building renovation, the paper asserts that funds should be easily attainable to local communities’ cities and municipalities, who are in fact closer to citizens and know their local markets.