50 Years of UEPC
UEPC adopts it's Sustainability Charter during its celebration of its 50th anniversary
Created in Brussels in 1958, the European Union of Developers and House Builders could not do otherwise but to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Brussels.
During a celebration meeting held in the auditorium of the KBC, Professor Ed Nozeman (University of Groningen) reminded us of the important role real estate development plays in the economy and outlined perspectives for the near future. His presentation was followed by a round table discussion moderated by Bruno Huygebaert (VRT - Flemish radio), which allowed us to appreciate the different approaches by residential real estate actors in various European countries facing the current financial challenges. The representatives of the English, Polish, French, German and Belgian Federations were thus able to show to what point local circumstances can have an impact on the housing market, even if we could note a certain caution in opinions about the coming years.
This celebration meeting was concluded with a comparison made by the special guest Mr. Guy Verhofstadt, Minister of State and past prime minister of Belgium, between the history of the European Union, which celebrated its anniversary last year, and UEPC.
The UEPC president, Jaroslaw Szanajca, Poland, made tributes and thanked all those who led UEPC, in particular during these past years in which time the multiplication of European regulations made dialogue indispensable for the European developers.
During the General Assembly held on the 25th of April 2008, UEPC approved its Sustainability Charter which was established by a special committee chaired by Mr. M. Freshney (United Kingdom). This document which exposes the main principles of action by the UEPC member federations, principally defines the direction that the developers wish to take during encounters with the other actors implicated in the process of greenhouse gas emission reduction and the increased need for energy performance in the building sector.
During the working committee meetings of this Spring, the representatives of the 12 Federations heard Mrs. P-J Koskimäki, Head of Unit DG TREN, who exposed the position of the European Commission on the program which will lead to what is now still an illusion, the zero carbon or passive house standard.
Mr. S. Bill, Head of Cabinet of Commissioner László Kovács (DG Taxud) repeated the very sensible attitude of the European commission on the reduced VAT rates, in particular for the construction sector and for construction products. Amongst the intentions of the Commission, we rediscover unconditional admission for the whole housing sector to a reduced rate (min 5%) and even a lower rate in member states that have a temporary derogation.
The Law and Environment committee, chaired by J-P Florentin (France) discussed the European Directive on soil protection and on energy performance for buildings. Vincent Nadin, Professor of Spatial Planning and Strategy, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology, gave an update of the recent developments in European urban planning matters.
The Economic committee with acting chairman A. Rychter (Germany) mainly concentrated on the risks for European Real Estate Development created by the current financial crisis that the world is experiencing and on the UEPC position with regard to VAT.
The 50th anniversary meetings ended with technical visits: one being the Corporate Village in Zaventem, where the mayor M. F. Vermeiren retraced the history of a real estate development realised on a polluted site insisting on the necessity for developers to consider also the interests of the neighbouring inhabitants if they want to be heard by the communal authorities, and secondly a visit to Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve, in order to make a comparison between the concepts of town planning in a medieval university town and in a town that was created in the 20th century to host a new University.
The Romanian Federation invited UEPC to hold its next meetings in Bucharest on the 23rd and 24th of October 2008.
Brussels, 29 April 2008
Click here to see the pictures of the event.
