Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development Joëlle Welfring presented the respective draft law during a press briefing on Monday morning.
One of the major proposed amendments is that residential buildings constructed prior to 1 July 1995 should be considered “legally existing” in the future. The relevant year was previously 1965, which has presented issues, as owners of buildings constructed after this year have had to prove that the structure was legally built.
Negotiations resulted in an agreement on the year 1995 as this is the earliest year the administration can look up within the electronic register to determine if a building permit was granted.
“Existing buildings can be altered with permission if certain criteria are met”, stressed Minister Welfring. In the future, it should become possible to complete a thermic isolation process once a building is considered “legally existing”. Furthermore, it will also be possible to increase the building’s height to a certain extent, as well as make changes if an issue arises with the safeguarding of the building or premises.
Permits will become necessary when altering the outside of a building, changing the perimeter, or rebuilding a section. The amended text also proposes to extend the time allowed for reconstruction after a fire to two years.
Another proposed change calls for internal renovations and changes to room layout to be permitted without authorisation. If passed, the draft law will also simplify the procedures for photovoltaic installations and scientific devices, as permits will no longer be required.
Construction within a green zone will in principle remain prohibited, with certain exceptions being made possible for instances such as agricultural purposes.
