Almost there: the new OIB Guideline 6 is nearing completion

Insights from the final phase of a complex vote

After many months of intensive work, the revision of OIB Guideline 6 (Energy Saving and Thermal Insulation) is nearing completion. The content of the draft has largely been agreed. Hundreds of comments were examined, discussed and – where appropriate – incorporated in a consultation process lasting several weeks. What at first glance appears to be a sober administrative act was in fact a multi-layered coordination process.

Why now – and not in 2027?

In fact, the next revision of OIB Guideline 6 was not scheduled until 2027. However, the revision of the EU Buildings Directive (EPBD), which must be implemented by May 2026, made it necessary to act more quickly. The aim was to align Austria’s building law requirements with the upcoming European framework at an early stage and to give the federal states sufficient time to incorporate the contents of OIB Guideline 6 into their state laws.

Between standard, practice and ideal

In more than 100 meetings, the members of the expert advisory board for OIB Guideline 6 – consisting of technical experts from all Austrian federal states – worked intensively on the wording of the guideline.

In order to ensure practical relevance and technical feasibility, numerous standards issued by the Austrian Organization for Standardization and Innovation (ASI) are reflected in OIB Guideline 6. Not least because numerous interest groups and economic players are involved in the committees responsible for drawing up standards.

The stakeholders concerned were informed about the current status of the development process and the associated framework conditions and challenges in several live and online workshops.

Assessment and setting the course

The final review process for OIB Guideline 6 ended on April 30, 2025, during which 75 stakeholders – consisting of institutions, NGOs, representatives of the federal states and authorities – were invited to submit proposals for amendments to the draft guideline, including justifications. Who these stakeholders are is clearly regulated in the agreement pursuant to Art. 15a B-VG on the harmonization of building regulations.

One thing unites the numerous stakeholder groups: their diversity. This was reflected not least in the large number of proposed amendments to the draft directive. The OIB’s specially created online tool was used by the Expert Advisory Board to receive a total of 326 individual written submissions during the consultation process, which lasted around two months. 178 of these were from the state governments of the federal states and 148 from other stakeholders.

The final contact forum on May 20, 2025 showed that the path to the lowest and yet most sensible denominator is not an easy one. During the event, the stakeholders present were able to address the individual points of the OIB guideline for the last time and present their proposed amendments.

One participant in a working group commented: “It is impressive how many perspectives come together – and how constructively work is carried out despite all the differences.” In order to achieve a workable result for all parties, the expert advisory board strictly adheres to the EU guidelines, which act as a unifying minimum, when drawing up the guideline and incorporating proposed amendments. In addition, each federal state subsequently has the option of determining exceptions when implementing OIB Guideline 6 in its building law. However, this happens extremely rarely so as not to counteract the basic idea of harmonization in the construction industry through the OIB guidelines.

What happens next?

The final draft of the directive is currently being revised and prepared for publication. At the same time, the planning and further consultation procedures for other documents necessary for the implementation of the European requirements (such as the national building renovation plan in accordance with Directive (EU) 2024/1275) are underway. The implementation of Directive 6 by the federal states in their building regulations and their notification must then take place by May 2026.

A look back – and forward

The soon-to-be-finished guideline is not just a technical document, but also the expression of a process: a struggle for comprehensibility, clarity and practicability. The fact that this path was not straightforward makes the result all the more robust. What remains is the good feeling of having found a viable consensus – supported by technical expertise, legal principles and a focus on practical relevance.