The position paper prepared by the Building Decarbonisation Partnership puts forward a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring that the next 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) strengthens the role of cities in decarbonising the building stock.

Drawing on lessons learned during the current programming period, the paper argues that European funding instruments remain fragmented across different policy areas and administrative levels, making it difficult to develop integrated strategies at district and neighbourhood scale.

To address these shortcomings, it presents ten recommendations to improve the design of the future EU budget. These include embedding place-based approaches, aligning building renovation with heating and cooling planning, strengthening project preparation, expanding the use of financial instruments that leverage private investment, and tailoring support to household vulnerability. The paper also calls for a stronger role for cities in the design, implementation and monitoring of the National Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs), together with dedicated funding to support integrated urban decarbonisation strategies.