FIEC Newsletter – 16 Ιανουαρίου 2024

On 9 January, in response to the official publication of the “text of the interinstitutional agreement”, FIEC published an updated version of its statement on the new EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

The new legislative text has the potential to boost the European renovation market and contribute to the decarbonisation of buildings in the EU. However, FIEC regrets that the text does not provide sufficient planning certainty for construction companies.The new EPBD also raises questions about financial feasibility.The focus now shifts to the Member States, which will have to ensure that the available EU funds are used as efficiently as possible for cost-effective energy-efficient renovations and that a sufficient and properly trained workforce is available.

A key question is also how the financial sector will play its part in providing sufficient financial support to households.

Since the publication of the proposal in 2021, FIEC has successfully lobbied for a streamlined Directive that keeps the focus on the energy performance of buildings (no ‘catch-all instrument’).

The complete statement can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

FIEC President, Philip Crampton, will speak at  the upcoming Renovation Week organised by the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council in Brussels on 18 January (from 16:00).The Renovation Week comes at a time when the EU is about to adopt far-reaching new legislation on building renovation and energy efficiency.

You can register for this event by writing to contact@belgianrenovationweek2024.be

The 4-day full programme can be found via the below tab.

The EU taxonomy’s technical criteria for the circular economy, known as the Environmental Delegated Act, have become effective as from 1 January 2024.In response to this, FIEC released an updated Position Paper on the EU taxonomy. The paper suggests that construction companies will only be able to successfully transform their business models if, for example, a continuous “reality check” and fine-tuning of the existing technical criteria is effectively carried out by the European Commission and a regular and systematic exchange between the construction industry, the financial sector and the Commission is re-established.

The complete position can be viewed by clicking on the below tab.

The findings of the INFO-POW project, in which FIEC is an associate partner, have been published in a comparative report following a survey conducted in 5 EU countries (AT, BE, IT, SK and SL) on posting and receiving companies in the construction sector.

The report highlights that access to  updated, simple and clear information on posting of workers is still a challenge for companies in the construction sector. In terms of information sources, while companies rely on websites of public authorities and employers’ organisations, there is still a high demand for more in person contacts and information sessions, which provide more tailred and specific answers. The report also shows that companies are mainly looking for information on to the Portable Document A1 (PDA1), prior notification and wages.

Finally, companies stressed that there is still a need for more precise, detailed and easy-to-understand information.

The findings will be presented and discussed during the INFO-POW Final Event on 17 January.