The European ComActivate project analyses the gap between the EU’s building renovation objectives and their effective implementation at national level. Drawing on the cases of Bulgaria, Hungary and Lithuania, the report identifies barriers that also affect other Member States, particularly in the renovation of multi-family apartment buildings, energy poverty and local capacity to implement policies.

The study points out that defining vulnerable households or identifying the worst-performing buildings is not enough if these concepts cannot be used to target support. It also identifies difficulties in combining social and energy data, involving residents in decision-making and providing stable and accessible financing.

The 15 recommendations propose integrating renovation, heating decarbonisation, renewable energy and energy sufficiency, while strengthening social safeguards. The report proposes consolidating One-Stop Shops as permanent local intermediaries and moving towards neighbourhood-scale renovation programmes rather than isolated building-by-building interventions.

Financing is another central element: the report proposes differentiated support according to vulnerability and building performance, specific solutions for apartment blocks with mixed-income households, and more predictable multiannual programmes. The aim is to translate frameworks such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) and the Social Climate Fund into actions capable of reaching those facing the greatest barriers to renovation.