‘More Sustainable Buildings’. Ombudsman suggests review of rejected applications

The Ombudsman’s Office has received numerous complaints about the Support Programme for More Sustainable Buildings 2023 (PAE+S). Although questions of a very diverse nature have been raised, and several are still being analysed, a first critical point has been identified in the exclusion decisions: the change in the criteria relating to the mandatory presentation of the energy certificate.

The programme was launched on 18 July and the Notice of Opening was republished twice, on 11 August and 13 September, with changes that caused uncertainty among applicants. The requirement for energy certification was modified in the first republication, leading to questionable exclusions. The Environmental Fund itself recognised the need for clarification, adjusting the criteria again in September. However, those who submitted applications before that date could not anticipate the final interpretation adopted.

In this context, the Ombudsman’s Office suggests that the director of the Environmental Fund review the applications rejected for this reason. As in 2022, when it presented a review of the problems identified in the first edition of the PAE+S, the Ombudsman’s Office also reiterates the importance of ensuring transparency and predictability in the criteria for access to the programme.

You can read the full suggestion here [in Portuguese only].