The European Display® Campaign is a voluntary scheme designed by energy experts from European towns and cities. When started in 2003 it was initially aimed at encouraging local authorities to publicly display the energy and environmental performances of their public buildings using the same energy label that is used for household appliances. Since 2008 private companies are also encouraged to use Display for their corporate social responsibility CSR activities. See Participation for more information.

As most Member States now have a National certificate for their existing public buildings, Display is increasingly being used as a complementary communication tool. With its strong emphasis on local communication campaigns and large variety of communication tools Display goes beyond the basic requirements of the EPBD.

A common European scheme by 2012?

In 2007, as part of the ambitious EU climate and energy package, the European Commission started the EPBD recast legislative process. During this review, the EU Parliament has proposed a common European certification for the energy performance of non-residential buildings. To be introduced by the latest in 2012, this voluntary scheme will be the same in all Member States and exist alongside the national certification scheme. This pan-European label is exactly what hundreds of Display participants have been implementing since 2003. It is felt that the common approach will go a long way to reducing the current confusion. If Member States agree, Display can provide the EU with the opportunity to introduce an already tried and tested voluntary common European Union certification for the energy performance of non-residential buildings.

Fully supported by the European Commission

In October 2001 the European association Energie-Cités suggested that: “Without waiting for the Directive on the energy performance of buildings to be passed, municipalities start to Display the energy performance of their buildings frequented by the general public”. Only one month later Energie-Cités submitted the first Display project proposal.

The 30-month pilot phase started in January 2003 while the public Display Campaign was launched in April 2004. Since 2005 the Campaign is co-financed by the European Commission under the Intelligent Energy - Europe Programme. At first under the project title "Towards Class A" and since 2008 as *C*ommunicate *Y*our *B*uildings *E*nergy *R*ating (CYBER) Display with 16 partners including De Montfort University, EuroACE, 7 cities, 4 local energy agencies and the Healthy Cities Czech Republic network.