European Union does not prohibit heating with wood and continues to count on it as one of its energy sources. Nevertheless European Commission prepares new conditionswhich may significantly affect the market for local solid fuel heaters. The Association for Ecological Wood Heating (AEVD) aims to ensure that these changes take into account not only environmental aspects but also the interests of Czech consumers and industry.

Draft new regulation and first reactions of the professional public

The draft implementing act on the ecodesign of local solid fuel heaters has been published on the CIRCABC platform, but only for three days. The AEVD received information about the forthcoming changes from foreign partner organisations and started to work on it intensively from 21 January 2025.

"We immediately contacted the Czech Ministry of the Environment and the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade," said Michal Bartoška, chairman of the AEVD. At the AEVD general meeting held on 30 January, members unanimously rejected the proposal for new regulation. The association, which represents manufacturers, distributors, retailers, chimney sweeps and heating engineers, points to the threat of negative impacts on the entire sector.

Impact of the proposed measures: technical and economic problems

The new regulation proposes:

Mandatory connection of local wood heaters to the electricity grid for automatic air control.

Reduction of CO emission limits for wood-burning stoves from the current 1500 mg/m³ to 500 mg/m³.

Practical elimination of some popular types of heaters - for example, fireplace inserts with large glazing would not meet the new limits.

According to the AEVD, the adoption of this proposal in its current form would have an extreme impact on the market. "Despite the constant modernisation of heaters, it would be extremely difficult to meet the new requirements," warns Michal Bartoška. Manufacturers would not only need to develop new technologies, but also go through a lengthy approval process. "European officials should also be concerned about the capacity of testing facilities, which is not sufficient," adds Bartoška.

Legal framework and approval process

The legislative basis for these measures is based on the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC, which implements Regulation 2015/1185. The first negotiation on the tightening of this legislation will take place on 12 February 2025, but it is not yet a final decision.

The Czech government and stakeholders have the opportunity to submit comments through the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. Business and professional organisations can get involved in shaping the Czech position, which will try to gain the support of other countries.

Position of the Czech ministries and the course of negotiations

The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Industry and Trade are already addressing the situation. Industry and Trade Minister Lukáš Vlček said on the X network that the Czech Republic does not agree with the proposal and will actively oppose it in Brussels.

Petr Holub, the chief director of the Ministry of the Environment, is also critical of the proposal and appreciated the cooperation with the AEVD.

Time to negotiate reasonable terms

Thanks to early media coverage and the active involvement of the professional public, a broad debate was opened. Leading Czech politicians, including the Prime Minister, assured the public that they would try to prevent the adoption of the proposal in its current form at the meeting on 12 February.

The AEVD will continue to monitor the drafting of the implementing act and will seek to ensure that the real-world experience of practitioners is taken into account when setting new rules. The draft measure, which is expected to be the result of a hearing on 12 February, will be carefully studied by the association's legislative and technical committees, which are made up of real experts in the field with experience of certifying heaters and flue gas ducts. The AEVD will actively communicate with both ministries on the expert position on the draft implementing act and any comments.