At European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) on 10 June 2026, the CROSS project took to the stage alongside DG ENER and EU initiatives FACILITA and BAOBAP. Participating in the policy session “From transposition to delivery: how local and regional authorities drive public building renovation,” the CROSS project showcased how One-Stop-Shops (OSS) driven by regional energy agencies are bridging the gap between EU policy obligations and real-world renovation pipelines.
The Policy Imperative: From Transposition to Delivery
With the May 2026 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) transposition deadline now passed, EU Member States face strict mandates. Revised frameworks under the EPBD and Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) require:
- Expanding the 3% annual renovation obligation to all public buildings over 250 m² to reach nearly zero-energy standards.
- Achieving a 1.9% annual energy reduction target across the public sector.
- Establishing detailed building stock observatories and Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS).
- Prioritising public buildings in National Building Renovation Plans to act as market shapers.
While public buildings must lead by example, local and regional authorities face operational bottlenecks, ranging from a lack of staff capacity and technical expertise to complex legal ownership issues. The central challenge is ensuring these obligations are backed by governance structures that can operate at scale.
Regional Energy Agencies as Delivery Agents
Regional and Local Energy Agencies have long acted as primary delivery agents for the EED and EPBD. From managing Energy Performance Contracting schemes to guiding municipalities through audits, these agencies mobilise the expertise required to turn policy into impactful projects.
Representing North-West Croatia, the CROSS project presented a proven blueprint at EUSEW 2026, demonstrating how regional agencies function as integrated OSS facilities to guide local governments across the full project lifecycle:
1. Data-Driven Portfolios & Digital Logbooks
CROSS assists regional counties by establishing structured public building registries. By aggregating energy performance certificates, structural conditions, and real-time consumption data, CROSS creates digital building logbooks. This analytics-driven approach allows municipalities to objectively prioritise investments and integrate energy goals directly with spatial and financial planning.
2. Scaling Up Through Neighbourhood Aggregation
To accelerate renovation rates, CROSS is shifting the focus from isolated retrofits to district-level interventions. Bundling nearby buildings with shared typologies speeds up procurement, lowers costs, and combines energy retrofits with structural, seismic, and fire safety upgrades.
Embedding Regional OSS into National Frameworks
The session highlighted operational models across Europe—from Spain’s regional OSS framework (FACILITA) to small municipality support schemes (BAOBAP) and cross-county frameworks in Croatia (CROSS). To meet 2050 climate goals, these local experiences must be embedded into national transposition plans as permanent, scalable delivery mechanisms.
