Manifesto

April 2009


 Strictly speaking, housing is not a European competence, but its provision and construction are affected by the European legislation and decisions.

In anticipation of the elections of June 2009, UEPC (European Union of Developers and House Builders) (1), the representative body of housebuilders and developers across Europe, wishes to highlight three major issues facing its members.

UEPC is raising the issues to stimulate debate and help generate solutions.

UEPC = + than 30,000 developers and house builders affiliated to the federations of 13 states (1).

Its members’ activities = 10% of the gross national product and employment in Europe.

Together = build and develop 1,000,000 homes + several million m2 of commercial buildings (offices, shopping centres and semi-industrial buildings) per annum.

Housing in the European Union = about 163 million units.

In 2008 in the 27 about 1,9 million construction permits for housing were granted (*).

In the Euro zone alone the number of construction permits granted in 2008 = 1,26 million (*).

(*) Eurostat (Italy & Austria excepted)

1. LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY MORATORIUM

In a difficult economic climate, the increase in legislation, regulation and standards is having a paralysing effect on the industry and is hindering the activity of the various economic stakeholders in the house building and development sector of the Member States.

Besides the increasing demands posed by the many different texts applicable to our sector of activity, the lack of protection from legal liability arising from the permanently changing regulations in force is a major issue threatening our profession today.

By applying the theory of cost-benefit analysis, UEPC therefore proposes a legislative and regulatory moratorium so as to make it possible to simplify the acquis communautaire and so safeguard the transposition and the actual implementation of the European legislation and standards already in force.

Furthermore, favourable to a participatory approach, UEPC proposes that the consultation of the stakeholders be strengthened upstream from the drawing up of European laws, regulations and standards.

As a body well positioned to develop and nurture creative ideas, UEPC is available to discuss draft texts with the European bodies.

2. FREE COMPETITION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR FOR THE BUILDING OF SOCIAL HOUSING

Aware of the need to build homes intended for people on low-incomes, UEPC is keen to restate the interest of private developers and builders to develop social housing on terms equivalent to those of the public sector.

The existence of competition distortions between the public and private sector in some member states is, UEPC feels, not helpful and it believes there are clear benefits in establishing free competition between these two sectors for the building of social housing. It believes that consideration should be given to the social nature of the occupier, and not the nature of the accommodation or of the landlord.

Furthermore, UEPC intends to promote the shift from subsidies “on demand” to subsidies “on supply”, so as to enhance the access of lowincome European citizens to housing.

Further to this, UEPC feels that VAT rates should be reduced for the acquisition of housing of all types. This is to say without limiting it to a social political scope. The reduction of the VAT would make it possible to put accessible housing for everyone on the market.

3. SUSTAINABILITY IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT PARTNERSHIP

UEPC approved a Sustainability Charter on 25 April 2008 that sets out its commitment to playing a full part in ensuring sustainable development in the 21st century.

This Charter sets out the commitments that UEPC has made to promote the reduction of carbon emissions through new buildings together with the adoption of improved standards of environmental performance in new construction.

It further defines what UEPC considers as the chief policy challenges in favour of the evolution of energy performance standards in the building industry, and integrates the relevant aspects of energy policy, the need to take full account of consumer requirements, the promotion of innovation, by facilitating the emergence of an extensive choice of varied solutions in different parts of Europe, while developing the indispensable skills and supply chains.

UEPC is firmly convinced that the realisation of its vision depends on the effectiveness of the partnership that it intends to forge with the other stakeholders closely involved in this area and more particularly the European Parliament.

UEPC therefore would like to implement with the support of the newly elected Members of the European Parliament and other key partners, the manifesto set out in its Sustainability Charter(2) in the context of a joint action.


(1) The European Union of Developers and House Builders is an international association (aisbl) created in 1958. It represents the national federations of Developers and House Builders of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, Morocco and Turkey.
(2) UEPC Sustainability Charter dated 25 April 2008 http://www.uepc.org/whatsnew/en/uepc-news-46.pdf

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UEPC » MANIFESTO



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.