Outcome of the Rebuild Ukraine Forum, Warsaw 15 February

Under the motto Rebuild Ukraine, the Forum was launched by FIEC Ukrainian member federation, CBU, to bring together all relevant actors to prepare and participate, when conditions are met, in the reconstruction of the war-torn country. It was the first in a series of events that aim to connect European construction companies and investors of the sector to accelerate the reconstruction of the affected Ukrainian communities.The event registered over 3,000 participants from around 50 countries. In addition to representatives of the Ukrainian Government and various ministries of EU countries, heads of territorial communities of Ukraine and officials of the European Commission, there was high attendance by entrepreneurs, financial institutions, donors, investors and charity organizations. These include the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank. The dialogue was extended to the reconstruction players, including suppliers, distributors, building and engineering companies. Two key elements were considered as crucial: on one hand, the number of stakeholders already active in this preparatory phase and, on the other hand, the need for better coordination, in particular as regards the financing of what has been now called the “largest construction site” on the European continent.

FIEC intervened in the Forum’s technical panels with President Philip Crampton and Kjetil Tonning who is chairing the FIEC Task Force “Ukraine”. 

Ukrainian authorities highlighted that their country is not to be simply rebuilt, but to be built from scratch in accordance with European technical, environmental, social and political standards – on the highest ethical foundations. Their main objective is to become the 28th Member State of the EU as soon as possible.

Finally, the Forum offered an overview on how governments interested in participating in the reconstruction of Ukraine are currently moving, often through bilateral initiatives directly managed with local authorities. A potential lack of coordinated action and sharing of efforts (synergy between governments and actors) was raised as a possible concern among various speakers and stakeholders.

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Digitalisation of Construction SMEs Website: new trainings

The updated training calendar of the EU Website dedicated to the digitalisation of construction SMEs is proposing new dates to register to its webinars.
Construction SMEs and supporting organisations are welcome to sign up.
Here are dates and topics:

Location: Online
Time: 10.00 – 11.30 am (CET)
Language: French

Location: Online
Time: 4.30 – 6.00 pm (CET)
Language: English

Location: Online
Time: 2.00 – 4.00 pm (CET)
Language: English

The training webinars are designed to help get a clear understanding of the implications and next steps after receiving the results in the In-depth Scan. Trainers will provide hands-on help on how to select and implement the required methodologies published in the Handbook by considering individual challenges. Moreover, the training intends to create an open space for sharing your challenges, experiences and to learn from others. If – on the training calendar available via the below tab – there is no training in your region and you would be interested in one, please send an email to: Digital.Construction-Training@kearney.com

 

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2023 construction campaign – The plans get more precise

A few days ago, FIEC attended the Working Group on Information of the European Labour Authority (ELA), which was more specifically dedicated to the 2023 construction campaign and other related activities. All ELA teams are mobilised and the preparation and implementation of the various activities is progressing at rapid pace. The EU social partners, FIEC and the EFBWW, and their respective members, are actively involved.Amongst the forthcoming activities and events, we can highlight the following:

  • 26 April: FIEC and the EFBWW will co-chair a workshop on social ID cards and how they can tackle undeclared work in construction (and other sectors)
  • 16 May: Workshop on undeclared work in the construction sector, with a focus on household repair, maintenance and improvement
  • In June: Publication of an analytical report on the construction sector, including case studies in 10 selected Member States
  • 30 June: Deadline of the call for best practices in construction (see article below)
  • Q4 2023: EU-wide information and awareness-raising campaign on posting-related issues, addressed to both employers and workers
  • Q4 2023: Specific EU-wide information event organised for construction employers

 

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Late Payments – Update of EU rules

The European Commission is preparing a revision of the Late Payment Directive (Directive 2011/7/EU). The Directive lays down obligations concerning payment terms in commercial transactions between businesses (B2B) or public authorities and businesses (B2G).As such, the European Commission has recently held a public consultation to give stakeholders a chance to share their views, concerning the way the initiative contributes to improving payment performance and building a fairer payment culture in the business environment.

FIEC was among the various stakeholders that responded to the consultation. In its answer,  FIEC highlighted several factors contributing to late payment, for example existing rules being unclear or not properly enforced, as stressed the importance in tackling late payments in B2G transactions.

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ELA calls for good practices in construction

As part of the construction-related activities organised in 2023 (see article above), the European Labour Authority (ELA) launched a call for good practices in the sector. These good practices shall aim at tackling the challenges related to posting of workers, free movement, coordination of social security systems, dissemination of information to workers and employers, as well as the shortage of labour and skills shortages in the sector.This call is open not only to national administrations, but also to social partners operating at national, regional and local level!

The deadline for submitting applications is 30th June 2023.

Exemplary practices will be selected according to their achievements and recognition, cost-effectiveness, transferability, sustainability, innovativeness and digitalisation An award ceremony is expected to take place in 2024.

 

   APPLY HERE!