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European Commission 2026 Work Programme

On 21 October, the European Commission published its 2026 Work Programme, titled “Europe’s Independence Moment”. As regards the construction releted issues announced in document, FIEC identified the most relevant initiatives as follows.
  • Circular Economy Act (legislative proposal, Q3/2026).
  • European Product Act (legislative proposal, Q3/2026), including an update of rules on the market surveillance and compliance of products, as well as rules on standardisation.
  • A Construction Services Act for the end of 2026 to simplify the rules to provide construction services across borders.
  • Quality Jobs Act (legislative) in Q4 2026, as a follow-up to the Quality Jobs Roadmap.
  • A Fair Labour Mobility package with three initiatives: a proposal for the European Social Security Pass, an initiative to strengthen the European Labour Authority and a Skills Portability Initiative. These three initiatives will be legislative and publish in Q3 2026.
  • A comprehensive revision of the EU public procurement framework. A new Public Procurement Act, scheduled for the second quarter of 2026. This initiative aims to modernise and simplify existing rules, strengthen the competitiveness of the Single Market, and make public procurement a genuine lever of European industrial policy.
  • A proposal for the new Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034 with a focus on competitiveness, decarbonisation, security, cohesion and the EU’s global mission, built around new National and Regional Partnership Plans.
  • The proposal of 2023 for a Regulation on combating late payment in commercial transactions (COM(2023)533) remains on the list of pending proposals.
FIEC will closely monitor the development and implementation of these initiatives, assessing their potential to support growth, innovation and the competitive edge of the construction industry.

AI in construction: FIEC Position Paper

Last week, FIEC published a Position Paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in construction: Strategic Adoption, Responsible Use, Sectoral Leadership. The document sets out 10 clear messages to ensure AI strengthens safety, productivity and competitiveness across Europe’s built environment.

You can download the position paper and its 10 key messages by clicking on the button here below.

   POSITION AND SUMMARY   

DESOCO3 project meeting in Copenhagen

Last week, the European social partners for the construction industry, FIEC and the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW), met in Copenhagen for the first meeting of the EU-funded “DESOCO 3” project. Organised in collaboration with FIEC’s Danish member (DI), this workshop focused on asbestos in the construction sector and the implementation of the relevant revised EU Directive.

The meeting gathered representatives from across Europe to share experiences, exchange knowledge, and discuss best practices. The Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) provided valuable insights into the Danish asbestos regulations, while Byggeriets Arbejdsmiljøbus (Bam-bus) and FORMEDIL shared good practice examples from Denmark and Italy respectively.

Participants discussed the national implementation processes of the revised Directive, as well as the remaining challenges, particularly regarding training needs, waste management and asbestos screening.

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Productivity gap US-EU (Part 2): A study by the European Employers’ Institute

The European Employers’ Institute (EEI), of which FIEC is one of the founding members, released the second part of its study on the labour productivity gap between the US and the EU.

This study is the second in a three-part series analysing the EU–US labour productivity gap. It follows the first report in the series, “The Broad Perspective”, which analysed overall productivity trends and key structural determinants (September 2025).

This second part “A Granular Analysis (1995–2019)” provides a detailed breakdown of productivity performance by country and sector across the EU and identifies the main factors contributing to the gap with the US. The main findings show that the core EU economies – Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands – are the main contributors to the EU’s slower productivity growth, despite their strong overall contribution to the European economy.

Full EEI Press Release available at this link.
Read or download the Study via the below tab.

   STUDY   

#FIEC120: A message from Cristian Erbasu, President of FPSC (Romania)

We thank Cristian Erbasu, President of FIEC’s Romanian member federation (FPSC – Federația Patronatelor Societăților din Construcții / Federation of Employers of Construction Companies), for sharing his wish message on our 120th anniversary, and for remarking the importance of gathering strengths and act jointly towards the achievements of the construction industry at EU level.

FIEC seizes this opportunity to highlight that FPSC’s motto “Orice putere este slabă dacă nu este unită” (“Any power is weak, if not united“) says it all on our shared values and legacy, and the capacity to reach common goals and to have the sector’s voice heard, while tackling issues to “build solutions together“.

   WATCH VIDEO