FIEC VP Schons at OECD Conference “Simplifying for Success”
On 17 November, in Paris, at the OECD High-Level Symposium “Smart rules, stronger business”, FIEC Vice-President Joël Schons highlighted FIEC’s approach to affordable and sustainable housing. “Simplify and accelerate zoning, planning and permitting procedures, as time is money”, he said, and continued “Go for full digitalisation of procedures (using BIM, the Building Information Model), not just digital post boxes (asking for PDF documents); restore private investor confidence and use public investments as multiplier effect”.
FIEC is looking forward to the forthcoming publication of the European Affordable Housing Plan, together with the European Strategy for Housing Construction, expected on 16 December.
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In the news: FIEC Opinion on Industrial Accelerator Act
In our recent “opposite the editorial page” focused opinion (op-ed) published by Euractiv, FIEC Vice-Presidents, Grete Aspelund and Jean-Pierre Paseri, raise serious concerns about the forthcoming Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) and its implications for the construction sector.
While the Act aims to support decarbonisation, its current design risks distorting functional markets for secondary materials while creating significant additional administrative burdens, particularly for SMEs.
We urge the European Commission to trust in existing tools, such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) already required under the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), instead of introducing new, potentially conflicting “green” labels.
FIEC is also cautious against biased or inconsistent labelling schemes, which could not only undermine the sector’s decarbonisation efforts but also drive up material costs if they are not aligned with CPR-defined methodologies.
| FOCUSED OPINION |
First “Omnibus package”: Position adopted by European Parliament
The Members of the European Parliament have adopted (in plenary) their position on the first “Omnibus Simplification Package“, with a majority among centre-right groups.
The package, which focuses on simplifying sustainability reporting, aims to streamline and improve the Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDDD) frameworks. A clear and practical reporting system is essential for enabling the construction sector to meet sustainability goals while supporting growth and employment.
Trilogue negotiations with the Council and the European Commission are currently ongoing, with the goal of finalising the legal act before the end of the year.
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FIEC Director General at EFBWW Conference on Labour Shortages
On 19 November, FIEC was invited by the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) to intervene in the Conference on Labour Shortages in Wood and Construction. FIEC Director General, Domenico Campogrande, participated in a panel debate to share the perspectives of construction companies, including good practices at national level.
He highlighted the importance of improving the image of the sector, the need for more cooperation among training providers and companies, and the key role played by social partners.
Back in March 2025, the European social partners for the construction sector, FIEC and EFBWW, published a Joint Declaration on labour and skills shortages
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Political agreement on EU Talent Pool
On 18 November, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have concluded negotiations on the EU Talent Pool, which was proposed by the European Commission in 2023, as part of a package on Talent Mobility.
The EU Talent Pool aims to create an online platform to facilitate the recruitments of third-country nationals for sectors impacted by labour shortages. The participation in the EU Talent Pool is voluntary for the Member States and will not impose disproportionate administrative burdens. Both institutions must now confirm this agreement.
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Construction Blueprint 2: Open Call for an Expert
The Construction Blueprint 2 project partners are looking for a company with experience in international quantitative studies and knowledge of the construction sector to update the Construction Blueprint Observatory. The Observatory will be expanded to cover 12 EU countries, including topics such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, digitalisation, circular economy, and transversal skills.
The Observatory will continue to serve as a key European tool for monitoring skills needs in support of the sector’s transition towards 2030. More information and Terms of Reference can be found at the link below.
| READ CALL |
#FIEC120: A message by François Dutilleul (FFB)
As part of the ongoing celebrations of FIEC’s 120th anniversary, we are pleased to share a dedicated message from François Dutilleul, Chairman of the “Europe and International Committee” at the Fédération Française du Bâtiment (FFB), which is FIEC’s French member federation.
We warmly thank Mr Dutilleul for his thoughtful and positive remarks, and for underscoring the importance of working and achieving together as a united European construction sector.
His full video-message is available in the FIEC website video-gallery and on YouTube.
| WATCH VIDEO |