FIEC Newsletter -05 Νοεμβρίου 2024

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, nominated Wopke Hoekstra for the role of EU Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth. The former Dutch Minister for Finance is one of the few candidates who have served already during the first mandate of “von der Leyen Commission”. He is successor to Frans Timmermans, who resigned in 2023. As a member of the conservative party family EPP (alike Ursula von der Leyen), he is the current Commissioner for Climate Action and will most likely remain in this position.His portfolio should include the implementation of the existing legal framework for 2030 and a follow-up European Climate Law materialising on the 90% emission reduction target until 2040. He will assist Executive Vice-President Ribera with a proposal for a Clean Industrial Deal within the first 100 days of the new mandate. In supporting the goals of such a piece of legislation, candidate-Commissioner Hoekstra will have a specific focus on creating a Single Market for CO₂ intending to build a robust “Industrial Carbon Management Strategy”, enhance carbon removals, and to establish carbon credits. This includes CO₂ transport and storage and therefore quality standards and investments in European net zero infrastructure. Next to action regarding climate mitigation, candidate-Commissioner Hoekstra will develop a European Climate Adaptation Plan to improve climate resilience and preparedness.

The European Parliament will conduct the confirmation hearing with candidate-Commissioner Hoekstra on 7 November. As a next step, the Members of the European Parliament are supposed to accept the full College of Commissioners, so that the Commission may take office either in December this year or by January 2025.

On 4 November, FIEC President Piero Petrucco, FIEC Vice-President (and VP of the EESC) Laurentiu Plosceanu and FIEC Director General, Domenico Campogrande, intervened in the “High-Level Stakeholder Roundtable on the Future of the EU Construction Industry“. The event was hosted by the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) and the European Economic and Social Committee.President Petrucco underlined the key opportunities for the sector, mostly represented by SMEs, and the current challenges in terms of innovation, investment and funding, with focus on what it is vital to implement the “industrial change” as well as efficient strategies / policies for builders, enterprises and the market, both at national and EU level.

Moderated by Laurentiu Plosceanu and with an opening address by Oliver Röpke (EESC President), the roundtable offered a useful momentum to share views on the different dimensions of construction and to talk about how some important sectoral issues should be addressed. The meeting was organised in 3 panels to drive a constructive and fruitful debate:

“It is of highest importance that we continue to draw the attention of policy makers on the vital role that our industry is playing in the EU economy, in the well-being of all citizens and for the achievement of a carbon neutral economy”, said Piero Petrucco during his intervention.

On 4 November, ahead of the hearings of the EU Commissioner-designates at the European Parliament, the Construction 2050 Alliance (of which FIEC is active founder and member) addressed a letter to Presidentvon der Leyen to emphasise the commitment and willingness of the construction industry to be a key partner in addressing Europe’s housing and sustainability challenges.The Construction 2050 Alliance would like to express its support for the directions outlined in the Political Guidelines for the 2024-2029 European Commission mandate, and its appreciation for the attention the Commission has directed towards the construction sector.

The Alliance is firm in its commitment to ensuring that the fundamental contribution made by the construction industry is recognised and supported by policymakers, with the aim of building tomorrow’s Europe today.

The Construction Products Regulation (CPR) has recently been revised to satisfy the needs of a green and digital transition. EU Member States’ Ministers in the Council of the EU are finally voting and adopting the law today, which will be binding across the Union after publication in the EU Official Journal. This is the end of a lengthy process, which will be completed before the beginning of 2025.Contractors, manufacturers and other stakeholders have 12 months (before the Regulation is applicable) to prepare their processes and procedures for compliance with the new rules.

The new CPR lays down harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products in the EU. – and provides a common technical language to assess the related performance. It ensures that reliable information is available in a digital form to compare the performance (structural, thermal, environmental, etc.) of products from different manufacturers in different countries.To explain the updated legal framework, the obligations for manufacturers, the modified standardisation procedure and the Digital Product Passport (DPP), the European Commission organised a Conference on the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) held on 30 October. The conference received a great response with more than 2.000 participants online and in person.

FIEC welcomes that the final text is more balanced and less complex than originally foreseen. The focus on the free circulation of construction products on the Single Market by excluding the direct installation, dismantling, and manufacture of products “on-site” from the scope is a pragmatic solution for contractors and properly addresses the situation in the field. We are also proud that FIEC expert, Eric Winnepennincks, was invited as speaker at the CPR Conference to advocate for a level-playing field in terms of information obligations across the construction products to promote innovation in the construction sector.

On 30 October the European Commission published its annual enlargement package, detailing the progress of candidate countries towards EU membership. A key focus is on Ukraine, which has made significant progress in its reform efforts. Following the first Intergovernmental Conference in June, accession negotiations with Ukraine are underway, recognising Ukraine’s determination to align itself with EU standards.

The Commission is satisfied with the progress made in the screening of EU legislation and expects to open negotiations on various clusters, starting with the basics, once the conditions are met in 2025. This momentum underlines Ukraine’s commitment to reform despite external challenges, including the ongoing impact of the war with Russia.

As the EU prepares to support Ukraine’s path forward, the potential for deeper integration offers promising socio-economic benefits for both Ukraine and the EU.