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Eurofuel’s Voice on Ecodesign: practical solutions for a decarbonised heating future

In November 2025, the European Commission published its draft consultation on revising the Ecodesign Regulation and Energy Labelling for space and combination heaters, launching a key policy debate on the future regulatory framework for heating technologies in the EU. The consultation closed on 23 January 2026, marking an important milestone in the ongoing review process.

Eurofuel welcomed the opportunity to contribute and submitted its response by the consultation deadline, reflecting the collective expertise and positions of the European liquid heating fuels sector.

Eurofuel supports the EU’s objectives of improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions, and accelerating the decarbonisation of buildings. However, these objectives must be pursued through technically feasible, proportionate and transparent regulatory requirements that enable innovation and investment, rather than unintentionally driving proven heating technologies out of the market.

Liquid fuel heating systems remain a vital part of Europe’s building stock, particularly in off-grid, rural and older buildings, where alternative heating solutions are often technically or economically impractical. These systems are already compatible with renewable and low-carbon liquid fuels, offering a pragmatic pathway to emissions reduction without requiring costly system replacement.

Against this background, Eurofuel cautions that certain elements of the draft ecodesign proposal risk making oil-fired space and combination heaters regulatorily unviable, not due to environmental underperformance, but because of requirements that exceed current technical and market realities.

Main topics raised in Eurofuel’s consultation response are: Modulation requirements, Seasonal space-heating efficiency thresholds, Sound power level requirements and Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) emissions.

Eurofuel’s consultation response is the result of a coordinated and inclusive process carried out throughout the consultation period. It was developed through extensive engagement with Eurofuel members across Europe, combined with technical exchanges to assess feasibility, testing implications and potential investment impacts.

This work was complemented by stakeholder meetings aimed at aligning positions across the liquid heating fuels value chain, as well as the consolidation of market evidence reflecting real-world deployment conditions. This structured approach ensured that Eurofuel’s submission is technically robust, evidence-based and fully representative of the sector as a whole. Next steps in the ecodesign process

Following the close of the consultation on 23 January 2026, the European Commission will analyse stakeholder feedback and continue discussions with Member States as part of the regulatory development process. Any revised Ecodesign requirements would apply only after the current transitional period, which runs until 31 December 2026.

Eurofuel remains committed to constructive engagement with the European Commission, Member States and stakeholders to ensure that the revised ecodesign framework delivers environmental benefits while preserving technology neutrality, consumer choice and feasible pathways for decarbonisation, particularly for off-grid households.