FIEC Newsletter – 05 Μαρτίου 2024

On 24 February fell the 2-year mark since Russia began its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine in manifest violation of international law. The EU reaffirmed its strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, committing to financial aid, sanctions against Russia, and increased military cooperation. The Presidents of the 3 EU institutions (European Commission, Council and European Parliament) advocate for a just and lasting peace, symbolising solidarity with Ukraine through shared flags.Since the onset of the war, FIEC strongly condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and has been making it clear that it would stand firmly by the side of its Ukrainian member, the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine (CBU). In addition, FIEC called on all the construction companies to act according to the sanctions that have been and will be decided at EU and international level.

FIEC is strongly committed to provide utmost contribution aimed at rebuilding Ukraine. For this reason, in order to coordinate initiatives related to the reconstruction of Ukraine, since June 2022 FIEC, togehther with the EIC (European International Contractors), has set up a dedicated Task Force, i.e., the Task Force “Ukraine”. The Task Force brings together not only FIEC member associations, but also industry stakeholders and other bodies, as well as attracts the attention and interest of the various institutions and organisations looking at the country’s reconstruction.

On 27 February, FIEC and the European International Contractors (EIC) published a joint call for a “European Blue Deal” in which the two organisations support the “Blue Deal” plans of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).The paper expressed a call on the next European Commission and the Member States to prioritise water resilience and water security, the fight against water scarcity and against extreme weather events in the new 2024-2029 mandate. The two federations also stress the importance of continue strengthening the industrial competitiveness of the European contractors, and further implementing the emissions cut, with focus on climate change issues.

FIEC and EIC voice 5 key messages and some proposals for a pan-European, holistic and long-term approach to water scarcity and natural disasters such as droughts and floods.

“We are part of the solution: Construction companies are heavily involved in many water-related activities and are already leading the way in efficient water management“, said FIEC President, Philip Crampton.

On 28 February, FIEC was in Rome – together with the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) and the European Association of Paritarian Institutions (AEIP) – on a study visit and to hold the 2nd Steering Group meeting of the EU-funded project “Social Identity Cards in Construction” (SIDE-CIC).The study visit took place at the National Institute for Social Prevention (INPS), where representatives of the Institute presented the activities and governance of INPS. The participants could also learn more about the European ESSPass (on the digitalisation and exchange of social security data), the DC4EU (on digital credentials within the EU) projects and some examples of social identity cards in Italy.

Finally, the members of the Steering Group met to discuss the preliminary mapping results, which show the current situation of social identity cards in the EU construction sector, as well as the next steps of the project.

On 27 February, the European Parliament voted in favour of the provisional agreement reached in December on the Nature Restoration Law.The  vote was 329 votes in favor, 275 against and 24 abstentions. The text will now be put to a final vote in the Council of the European Union before the rules can enter into force. FIEC welcomes the Nature Restoration Law, as the final text obliges Member States to take into account also the socio-economic consequences of their nature restoration measures.

On 28 February, several Member States, led by Germany, blocked the approval of new rules foreseen by the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D).The directive was intended to address human rights and environmental impacts in supply chains. A last-minute proposal tabled by France aimed at raising the employment thresholds, combined with Germany’s dissatisfaction with the proposed rules (including the excessive bureaucracy they would potentially create), led to the text being withdrawn for a second time.Despite efforts from the Belgian EU Presidency to address concerns and seek approval, the fate of the CS3D remains uncertain. Any chance of a revival before the upcoming EU Elections seems to depend on the procedural deadline of 7 March in the European Parliament.

On 26 February, the Council of the EU formally validated the agreement found between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the directive amending directive 2004/37/EC and directive 98/24/EC as regards the limit values for lead and its inorganic compounds and for diisocyanates. Both substances are present in construction in various forms (e.g. insulating foam for diisocyanates and coating or pipe for lead).

This was the last step of the legislative process before the publication in the Official Journal of the EU. Member States will then have two years to transpose the new requirements in their national legislation.

For both substances, a transition period until December 2028 will apply.

The directive also requires from the Commission to assess the possibility of extending the scope of the directive to endocrine disruptors.