STRASBOURG (dpa-AFX) - The EU Parliament has voted in favor of stricter requirements for the energy efficiency of buildings. Specifically, residential buildings are to achieve at least energy efficiency class "E" by 2030 and "D" by 2033. Similar to household appliances, energy efficiency is to be indicated on a scale from "A" to "G". In addition, MEPs on Tuesday voted 343 in favor, 216 against and 78 abstentions to ensure that, from 2028, only houses that emit virtually no additional greenhouse gases will be built.

The MEPs have thus cleared the way for negotiations with the EU member states on the plan. The national governments had already agreed on their position in October.

The plan had recently been the subject of controversy because of possible high costs for homeowners. "It will overburden homeowners," said Markus Pieper of the CDU, for example. German MEP Jutta Paulus of the Green Party, on the other hand, stressed, "The goal for the upcoming negotiations is to massively reduce the energy consumption of buildings and to be easy on consumers' wallets."

After the vote, MEP Jens Geier emphasized that the path to climate neutrality must be social. "Financially weaker households should be protected from cost pressure. The draft directive explicitly provides for this," said the SPD politician. The CDU member of parliament and social politician Dennis Radkte sees it differently: "There is obviously no antenna for the social realities anymore."/mjm/DP/tih