Are building regulatory systems in European countries climate proof?

Demands on the energy performance of new and existing buildings hold a prominent place in the regulations of all European countries. The influence of EU policy goals and contents of EU Directives reverberate strongly in the energy regulations. Goals set by the European Union are that all newly built constructions must have a zero energy level by 2020 and that the total building stock must be energy neutral by 2050. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive are designed to give Member States the regulatory tools to develop and strengthen energy performance regulations. There are indications that the current (energy) regulations alone are inadequate to realize the energy saving goals set by the EU and its Member States. The goals can only be reached by more strict and supportive governmental regulations. That does not only mean formulating more stringent demands. It also poses new challenges to the way the construction process is organized and the regulations are enforced and the roles and responsibilities of constructors (building and installation companies). In the quality control procedures focus should be put on the quality of the building as it is built and preferably as it is going to be used. The question is if current quality control frameworks are organized adequately in European countries to meet these demands. To give a beginning of an answer to this question we look at the regulatory systems of seven European countries (England & Wales, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden) where private building professionals already play a dominant role in the quality control process. The paper zooms in on the robustness and focus of the quality control process and the demands that are made on building and installation companies with respect to meeting the quality demands. It appears that current building regulatory systems are not yet geared completely with the future demands.