FIEC Newsletter – 9 December 2025

120 Years of Construction in Europe: FIEC’s anniversary celebration

“Since 1905, FIEC has been uniting Europe’s builders, driving progress and sustainability, and shared prosperity across the construction ecosystem in our industry’s evolving landscape. What a rich history and interesting stories can this anniversary tell! (…)” – said Piero Petrucco, FIEC President, at the opening of FIEC’s festive evening held on 3 December at Concert Noble (Brussels). He welcomed on stage EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall, who shared her positive messages around the role of our Federation and the importance of the construction sector.
“Let me congratulate FIEC for 120 years of innovation and leadership. For a long time, you have been a crucial, valued partner in the EU’s efforts to build a thriving, prosperous society. Today, your role is more important than ever.” –  stressed , the Commissioner responsible for Environment, Water Resilience and a competitive Circular Economy in the European Commission, in her keynote address.

Among the speakers, we had the opportunity to have interventions by two Members of the European Parliament: Vice-President, MEP Antonella Sberna (ECR/IT), followed by MEP Irene Tinagli (S&D, IT), Chairwoman of the “Housing” Committee. FIEC also thanks Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, for her video-message sent to express her wishes for FIEC’s anniversary.

FIEC Photo Exhibition:
A look back and a dive into the future

We thank all our guests, and particularly, the EU high-level speakers, for having joined us. We truly valued their engagement and inspiring words in support of the construction industry and of one of our core objectives: Building affordable and sustainable. We were also honored to briefly guide them into a tour of FIEC Photo Exhibition “120 Years of Construction in Europe“.

Our film for a “constructive” Europe

To wish Happy Birthday to our colleagues and partners, and thank all of them across our member federations, we promoted the remarkable journey of these 120 years through a corporate video aimed at inspiring about what we do – who we are, the way we work, our mission, values, projects, legacy and much more. The video was launched during event.

We heard it from Roswall: “Our goal is simple: build more, renovate faster, and do so in a way that respects national prerogatives, protects planetary boundaries and strengthens Europe’s competitiveness” – and this is what FIEC strives to achieve. Hence our slogan:
“Building Solutions together: Our mission, your future“.

FIEC120 VIDEO

FIEC Housing Conference: Let’s bring together affordability and sustainability

On 4 December, representatives of the EU construction sector, political decision makers and financial institutions gathered in Brussels for the FIEC conference entitled “The Housing Equation: affordable + sustainable”. Europe’s housing crisis can only be solved through coordinated, long-term policies that bring affordability and sustainability together rather than treating them as competing priorities.

The conference opened with a keynote speech by Dirk Gotink, Member of the European Parliament (NL-EPP). He called for a simplification agenda at a moment when households, contractors and public authorities are all struggling with rising costs and growing regulatory demands. “Europe must build again and it must build faster. Our task is to deliver clearer rules and simpler procedures, so that regulation enables construction instead of slowing it down”, he said.

Representing the construction industry, Joël Schons, Chair of FIEC “Housing” Working Group, reaffirmed FIEC’s commitment to sustainability objectives and high-quality standards, while cautioning against policies that could make the transition economically inaccessible. He stressed that “(…) construction companies stand ready to build the sustainable housing Europe needs. But to succeed, we must ensure that permitting procedures are accelerated and fully digitalised, regulations are housing-friendly and that financing is accessible.”

PRESS RELEASE

FIEC President speaks at “EU Implementation Dialogue on Construction”

On 2 December, FIEC President Piero Petrucco was invited to speak in the Implementation Dialogue on the functioning of the construction ecosystem in the EU, hosted by Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné.

The roundtable gathered a selected group of stakeholders: contractors, construction products manufacturers, developers and trade unions.
The purpose of the meeting was to share insights and experience on specific challenges linked to existing legislation or policies and collect suggestions and recommendations on how to tackle them.
In particular, attendants explored the barriers and challenges in the permitting process and in providing construction services cross-border. Participants also discussed the measures that should be taken to support the uptake of new technologies and increase productivity.

Amongst other things, Petrucco insisted on introducing fully digitalised construction permits procedures, improving the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and supporting a real market for secondary raw materials.

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Coordination of Social Security: Toward the end of the story?

On 2 December, the French Permanent Representation to the EU hosted a high-level discussion on social security coordination and labour mobility, involving the European Parliament’s Rapporteur Gabriele Bischoff, the forthcoming Cypriot Presidency and Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Roxana Mînzatu.

The full room showed that, after many years of negotiations, the stakeholders’ interest in concluding this very important file remains strong.
MEP Bischoff recalled that her priorities were fairness, enforcement and digitalisation. She also insisted that the construction sector needed a special treatment in this framework. Indeed, as being sensitive to fraud, FIEC and its social partner EFBWW (European Federation of Building and Woodworkers) continue asking for mandatory prior notification for the posting of construction workers.

Executive Vice-President Minzatu also stressed that the simplification of administrative procedures must go hand in hand with fairness.

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Publication of the EU “Quality Jobs Roadmap”

On 4 December, the European Commission published its Communication on the Quality Jobs Roadmap. This Communication outlines initiatives taken by the European Commission and the social partners to foster quality jobs. The roadmap mentions many key topics, from skills to restructuring, the impact of AI, the right to disconnect and telework, occupational safety and health (OSH), including psychosocial risks, and labour mobility. The Communication refers to existing and ongoing initiatives, both legislative and non-legislative.

This Communication is accompanied by the first-stage consultation of European social partners on a Quality Jobs Act, expected for the end of 2026. The European Commission will collect the input of social partners on algorithmic management and AI at work, OSH, subcontracting, just transitions and on enforcement and the role of social partners.

FIEC is at work to prepare a reply to this consultation

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FIEC Annual Report 2025

 

ANNUAL REPORT

#FIEC120: Message by FIEC Honorary President J-L. Marchand

 

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