Spain will host first net-positive emissions EU building

The European Commission begins construction of its first net-positive emissions building in Seville, Spain, this summer. A symbol of sustainability and innovation, the new Seville site of the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) will fully embody the New European Bauhaus principles. 

The project aims to go beyond carbon neutrality by offsetting CO₂ from the atmosphere, primarily through generating solar energy that far exceeds its own operational needs. It will be the first EU institutional building of this scale to achieve net-positive emissions. 

Inspired by Seville’s traditional architecture, the dome-shaped project will feature a solar panel-covered roof that provides shade for a square, a garden, and the building itself. The layout is designed to be flexible and adaptable to future needs, with a focus on using locally sourced materials such as limestone, wood and ceramics. The construction is expected to last two years. 

The groundbreaking of the future building was celebrated on 30 June 2025 in an event in Seville with Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, and representatives of the Spanish government. 

Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation said: "Thanks to an amazing interinstitutional collaboration, this is the Commission's first visible example of the New European Bauhaus, an initiative that is giving us the opportunity to transform society – from small businesses to disadvantaged neighbourhoods – making it more sustainable and improving Europeans' way of living. We can see today what the real path to innovation looks like."  

The JRC site was inaugurated in Seville in 1994 and hosts more than 400 international workers, providing technical information and data in support of key European policies like innovation, economic modelling, fiscal policy, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. 

Related links

Gallery: EU's first net-positive building in Seville

The JRC in Seville