New research: Europe’s AC Regulations Are Killing People
The Consumer Choice Center publishes a policy paper documenting the regulatory barriers blocking access to air conditioning across 29 European countries, and calls on the European countries to act.
Brussels, BE/June 26, 2026 – The Consumer Choice Center published “Keeping it Cool: Removing Hurdles for Air-Conditioning Availability in Europe,” a policy paper documenting how a continent-wide patchwork of facade rules, heritage permits, condominium consent thresholds, and noise ordinances is preventing Europeans from accessing a product that saves lives.
The paper arrives as Europe records its second consecutive year of mass heat mortality. More than 62,700 people died from heat-related causes in 2024, a 23 percent increase on 2023, with adults over 75 facing mortality rates more than three times higher than other age groups. Only one in five European homes has air conditioning, against nine in ten in the United States and Japan.
“Europe cannot declare a climate emergency and then make it illegal to run a fan. The regulatory patchwork we document is not protecting consumers. It is leaving them to choose between bureaucratic exhaustion, illegal workarounds, and dangerous overheating.”
— Bill Wirtz, Senior Policy Analyst, Consumer Choice Center
The paper covers all 27 EU member states, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, and includes specific legislative recommendations at both EU and member-state level. Among its key findings: in Spain, a three-fifths community supermajority is legally required before any installation can proceed; in Geneva, applicants must submit a medical certificate proving they need cooling for health reasons; in Vienna, residents must obtain sign-off from two separate city authorities plus unanimous co-owner consent.
The Consumer Choice Center calls on the European Commission to amend the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive to establish a right to install cooling equipment in residential dwellings, and to use the forthcoming 2026 Heating and Cooling Strategy to address consumer-side access barriers for the first time. At the member-state level, the paper calls for consent thresholds to be lowered, permitted development status for residential AC units, and mandatory 21-day permit decisions with automatic approval if no response is issued.
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For media requests, contact:
Bill Wirtz
bill@consumerchoicecenter.org
The Consumer Choice Center is an independent, nonpartisan consumer advocacy group championing the benefits of freedom of choice, innovation, and abundance in everyday life for consumers in over 100 countries. We closely monitor regulatory trends in Washington, Brussels, Ottawa, Brasilia, London, and Geneva. Find out more at www.consumerchoicecenter.org