Liechtenstein's second attempt at the EU buildings directive: heat pumps with a simple notification

The government of the Principality of Liechtenstein approved on 3 November a report and motion to the Landtag amending the Building Act, the Energy Efficiency Act and the Energy Certificate Act. The package transposes Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and a parliamentary motion of 31 July 2025 on air-conditioning units, according to the government's statement.

Context. A first transposition, based on the Swiss cantons' model energy regulations (MuKEn 2014), was adopted by the Landtag in 2023 but rejected in the referendum of 21 January 2024; a proposed photovoltaic obligation also failed at the time. According to the Liechtenstein Institute analysis cited by the government, part of the public considered the bills too restrictive.

What was decided. The new bill is limited to the mandatory requirements of EEA law. It stays with MuKEn 2014 but drops modules E (own electricity generation in new buildings) and F (renewable energy when replacing heat generators). It adopts a MuKEn 2025 rule on using solar power for cooling, aligning Liechtenstein with the rules in Switzerland. Installing a heat pump would generally require only a notification instead of a building permit, and a heat pump used for heating could also cool without separate approval. Small plug-in photovoltaic systems of up to 800 W get simplified procedures.

Context figures. At the same session, the government adopted the sixth monitoring report on the Energy Strategy 2030: final energy consumption fell by 3.4% in 2024 and stagnated in 2025 (-0.1%), while the share of renewables stayed above the target path despite a weak hydropower year. The report notes, however, that the share of fossil heating in new or replaced systems rose again in 2025.

What comes next. The bill goes to the Landtag; the statement does not give a date for the debate. The daily Liechtensteiner Vaterland described the package as a “restart with the handbrake on” that brings relief for homeowners but merely catches up on what was missed.