FIEC features in BPIE’s Climate Conversations
For the first Climate Conversation of the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), FIEC’s Director General Domenico Campogrande was interviewed by BPIE’s Executive Director Oliver Rapf to discuss the role of the construction industry when it comes to addressing whole-life carbon emissions of buildings.
In this exchange, FIEC explained, amongst others, that construction companies have the biggest impact and control on what is happening on the construction site, which represents only a small share of the overall CO2 emissions of the sector. Reducing whole-life carbon therefore requires joint efforts throughout the entire value chain. However, to a very large extent already, embodied carbon has been addressed through a bottom-up approach for many years and we are therefore not starting from scratch.
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Investment in skills as top priority for EU Ministers for employment and social policy
On 15 February, the French Presidency hosted an informal EPSCO COUNCIL (Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs) dedicated to the impact of digital and ecological transitions on the labour market. The European Ministers agreed on the importance of investing in skills – both for young people and adults, supporting career transitions and strengthening social dialogue at EU and national levels in light of these changes.
In terms of support actions at the EU level, the European Commission recalled the three proposals for recommendations presented in December 2021 and that particularly concern the challenges of supporting occupational transitions: a recommendation on individual learning accounts, a recommendation on micro-credentials for skills and a cross-cutting recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality.
As EU social partner for the construction industry, FIEC is also very much engaged in this challenge, namely through its participation in the EU-funded project Construction Blueprint, which aims at identifying and anticipating the skills’ needs in digitalisation, energy efficiency and circular economy; as well as its involvement in the Pact for Skills in Construction, which aims at upskilling and reskilling at least 25% of the workforce in the next 5 years thanks to quality investment from all relevant stakeholders at EU, national and local level..
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EU BIM for Building Renovation Competition – Deadline extension!
The submission deadline for the EU BIM for Building Renovation Competition has been extended until 25 April 2022 (registration deadline is 18 April).
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FIEC’s position on revised TEN-T guidelines focuses on maintenance and high-quality infrastructure
FIEC has published its position paper on the revision of the TEN-T (Trans-European Network for Transport) guidelines.
The transition to cleaner, greener, and smarter mobility depends on the infrastructure we have already built, and are building today. While the EU has one of the densest transport infrastructure networks in the world, a large part of this infrastructure is now ageing and coming under increasing pressure due to a rise in traffic. To add to the problem, the lack of proper level of investment in maintenance has led to the deterioration of transport infrastructure as demonstrated by the collapse or frequent closure of bridges or as observed in the poor state of some road surfaces.
FIEC emphasizes the need for the continuous maintenance of existing infrastructure, adding that this can substantially contribute to a more circular economy and is vital to guarantee the safety of the network’s users. The TEN-T should also be precursor for high-quality infrastructure by promoting innovative infrastructure. Lastly, FIEC stresses that the Commission will play an important role in ensuring that projects on the entire TEN-T network are implemented swiftly and that delays are avoided.
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Increasing presence of State-Owned Enterprises shown on interactive map
FIEC, in cooperation with EIC (European International Contractors), EuDA (European Dredging Association) and UNIFE (European Rail Supply Industry), has updated an interactive map of Europe to illustrate construction projects that State-Owned Enterprises from third countries have been bidding for.
These cases highlight the need for a comprehensive toolbox of instruments aimed at ensuring a level playing field in the Internal Market.
The extent of their growing presence can be easily seen on the map available on the link below..
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