Antwerp: Industry Calls for Urgent EU Action
On 11 February 2026, at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, the community behind the Antwerp Declaration (representing more than 1,300 organisations across Europe) issued the “Antwerp Call to Alden Biesen.” Ahead of the informal European Council meeting in Alden Biesen, the signatories urged EU leaders to move from diagnosis to delivery and adopt an industrial emergency package in 2026 to restore competitiveness, secure investment and protect quality jobs in Europe.
The Call highlights three key priorities: reducing energy and carbon costs, ensuring a level playing field in global competition, and stimulating demand for European-made products, while strengthening the Single Market.
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Third mandate begins for EU Platform on Sustainable Finance
On 11 February, the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance held its first plenary meeting and officially kick-started the third mandate. The European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) has been appointed as one of the 35 members, represented by Ms María Luísa Carrasco Martínez, CFO at FCC Construcción (ES), and supported by Jakob Thaysen Rørbech (DK – DI Byggeri).
The EU Platform on Sustainable Finance has been established under the Taxonomy Regulation as an advisory body to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union (DG FISMA). It is tasked with reviewing the technical taxonomy criteria and sustainability accounting and reporting standards.
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Subcontracting is a vital part of the Construction industry – Vote of the EP
On 12th February, the European Parliament adopted MEP Danielsson report on subcontracting by 332 in favour and 209 against (+ 33 abstentions).
The outcomes of the vote show that FIEC and its fellow employers’ organisations have been heard: MEPs have refrained from taking a strict top-down limitative approach to the complex reality of subcontracting.
Abusive practices have to be tackled taking into account that subcontracting is a vital part of the construction industry. It allows companies to respond to project demand flexibility, access specialized expertise, cushion the shortage of skilled workforce and maintain competitiveness. Instead of imposing one-size-fits-all limits, FIEC calls the EU to focus on better enforcement of existing laws and support digital tools for transparency and compliance.
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Apprenticeship abroad: Call from Danish VET organisation
Byggeriets Uddannelser, the national organisation responsible for vocational education and training within the Danish construction sector, is inviting European construction companies to participate in their apprenticeship programme by hosting Danish carpentry apprentices for a period of 3–6 months.
With their programme, they would like to develop a network of European companies which could host Danish carpentry apprentices on a regular basis. Apprentices are employed under local terms and conditions, while a Danish public support scheme assists them with travel and accommodation expenses—making the arrangement both flexible and cost-effective for the host company. This initiative offers valuable international exchange and fresh perspectives on carpentry methods and workplace culture for both companies and apprentices.
If you are interested, please contact FIEC Secretariat at this address: l.guyon@fiec.eu (Ms Lena Guyon).
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Launch of EU project Mind@Work
FIEC is pleased to announce the launch of a new EU-funded project, Mind@Work – “Mental Health in the Workplace: The Employer’s Perspective in Europe”, launched within the framework of the European Employers Institute (EEI). This promising transnational initiative officially started on 1 February 2026 and will run for a period of two years.
Mind@Work aims to strengthen the role of employers in fostering healthier workplaces and to contribute to the broader European agenda of integrating mental health into employment and social policies. The project seeks to support organisations in building resilient, inclusive, and psychologically safe working environments across Europe.
With a kick off meeting to be held shortly, the project is coordinated by FIEC and supported by a strong and diverse consortium which includes the European Employers’ Institute (EEI), Fondazione ADAPT and its associated entity, ADAPT.
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