The European Commission initiated a new infringement procedure against Bulgaria on Thursday for failing to submit a report on the energy performance of buildings as required by the directive. A notification letter was sent to the Bulgarian government, reminding it to provide the European Commission with a report on the optimal costs related to building energy efficiency.

The directive mandates authorities to establish minimum energy performance requirements for buildings to achieve the best combination of investment and savings, known as "optimal cost levels." Calculating these levels is essential for maximizing the energy efficiency and renewable energy potential of the national building stock, ensuring that citizens and businesses do not overspend on improving the efficiency of homes and offices, according to the letter from Brussels.

The Bulgarian government has two months to submit the report.

At the end of April, the European Commission returned Bulgaria's energy and climate plan with criticisms. The Commission deemed the plan insufficiently ambitious in meeting European climate policy goals and noted it lacked analysis, forecasts, and concrete measures to fulfill its commitments. Despite being submitted last in Brussels, long after other countries had updated their plans in accordance with the latest European Green Deal legislation, the Bulgarian report was criticized for its quality.