_{Image: CNA (Confederazione Nazionale dell'Artigianato) event.}

Representing over 94% of Europe’s construction sector, microenterprises are central to achieving the EU’s climate neutrality targets. At the CNA event, European Builders Confederation (EBC) Secretary General Fernando Sigchos Jiménez stressed the need for the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) to reflect the operational realities of these firms. With only 1% of the building stock currently renovated each year, the EU’s ambition to upgrade 35 million buildings by 2030 remains out of reach without targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

EBC proposed five strategic priorities: accessible funding mechanisms, enhanced skills development, the creation of local One-Stop Shops (OSS), simplified regulatory frameworks, and improved coordination between national and EU-level policies. These pillars aim to reduce administrative burdens, close the labour gap, and provide SMEs with the tools to deliver high-quality energy renovations at scale.

A critical barrier to scaling up renovation efforts is the shortage of qualified workers. EBC members advocate for national renovation plans to embed vocational training and upskilling programmes, ensuring a steady pipeline of talent. This is particularly urgent in Italy, where demographic shifts and limited training access have constrained workforce availability in the construction sector.

To streamline the renovation journey for property owners and SMEs alike, EBC supports the development of OSS—independent, local hubs offering technical, financial, and administrative guidance. These centres would help bridge the knowledge gap and reduce the burden on small firms, enabling them to focus on execution rather than bureaucracy.

The organisation called for the inclusion of SMEs in Italy’s National Building Renovation Plan, under the revised EPBD, to address real market challenges such as administrative complexity, fragmented support, and skills shortages. SMEs are already central to Europe’s building transformation, but require adequate support to enable a realistic and successful implementation of the EPBD.