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Members of European Parliament debate on subcontracting and social dialogue
On 18 December, Roxana Mînzatu, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, gave two statements during the plenary meeting of the European Parliament. One on social dialogue, collective bargaining and the right to strike and the second one on tackling abusive subcontracting and labour market intermediaries.She stressed the importance of social dialogue at European and national level and the need to increase collective bargaining coverage. The Quality Job Roadmap – that she will present in the beginning of 2025 – will promote good working conditions, training and fair jobs and seek to increase social dialogue.
On subcontracting, Roxana Mînzatu mentioned the existing legal framework and called for a strong enforcement. She will also propose to strengthen the mandate of the European Labour Authority (ELA).
EVP Minzatu’s declarations were followed by a debate with the members of the European Parliament. They called for a proper implementation of the Minimum Wage Directive and for a revision of the Public Procurement legislation to include social conditionality. They also stressed the need for a European legal framework on subcontracting.
Finally, the construction sector was several times mentioned as one of the sectors which needs special attention regarding subcontracting, quality jobs and health and safety.
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European Parliament creates new Special Committee on the housing crisis
On 18 December, the European Parliament approved the establishment, for 12 months, of a new Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union. This special committee, adopted by 480 votes for, 148 against and 20 abstentions, will comprise 33 members. The composition of the committee will be determined by each political group and should be announced at the January Plenary meeting of the European Parliament.As regards its mandate, the Special Committee will be responsible, amongst others, of mapping current housing needs across territories, analysing effects of the Union’s policies that influence the availability and affordability of housing, assessing potential barriers affecting the construction sector and their impact on the housing crisis. The committee will also map innovative technologies, processes, services and products to support the Renovation Wave.
Earlier in December, FIEC published a Position Paper on the European Affordable Housing Plan, with a series of proposals to boost the offer and support the demand of sustainable and affordable housing.
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EU sectoral Social Partners recall their red lines on Social Security Coordination
On 18 December, the European sectoral social partners for the construction industry (FIEC and EFBWW, the European Federation of Builders and Wood Workers) called again for maintaining the prior notification for the posting of construction workers, in the framework of the revision of Regulation 883/2004 on Social Security Coordination, including for short-term posting and business trips.In a Joint Letter addressed to the EU Polish Presidency, as well as to the Permanent Representations of the EU Member States, FIEC and EFBWW pointed out that the construction industry is sensitive to economic and social fraud and therefore require strong rules to ensure the fair mobility of its workers.
Eventually, FIEC and EFBWW called on the EU Polish Presidency to end the deadlock and finally conclude the revision of the Regulation.
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Construction Blueprint 2 – start of the project
Following the success of the first Construction Blueprint project (2018–2023), a new Erasmus+ initiative – coordinated by Fundación Laboral de la Construcción (Spain) and supported by 24 partners from 12 countries – has officially started on 1 January 2025.The first project developed tools like the Skills Observatory, an Interactive Map of good practices and updated VET (Vocational Education Training) training curricula. Construction Blueprint 2 aims to improve these outcomes while introducing innovative deliverables, such as a digital matrix of emerging competencies, a CVET (continuing vocational education and training) training programme and a web-app for training resources.
Aligned with the Pact for Skills, launched by FIEC, EFBWW (European Federation of Builders and Wood Workers) and EBC (European Builders Confederation), the project will also implement sector-wide activities ensuring that the construction industry is prepared for the twin transition (digital and green).
The first partners meeting will be held in February in Madrid.
New Construction Products Regulation (CPR) enters into force today
The new Construction Products Regulation (CPR Regulation (EU) 2024/3110) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 18 December 2024. It enters into force today and applies as of 8 January 2026. This is the last and final step of the legislative procedure.The new CPR lays down harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products in the European Union. It provides a common technical language to assess the performance of those construction products and ensures that reliable information is available in a digital form for comparing the performance (structural, thermal, environmental, etc.) of products from different manufacturers in different countries. The updated rules aim at boosting the productivity in the construction sector by ensuring the free movement of safe and sustainable construction products in the EU and the availability of product information by digital means. It also aims to accelerate the green and digital transition to prevent and reduce the impact that construction products have on the environment.
Re-using construction products is part of a shift towards a more circular economy and can also help to reduce the environmental and carbon footprint of construction.
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19 March 2025: Conference on non-EU companies in Procurement
FIEC, HUP (Croatian Employers’ Association / Hrvatska udruga poslodavaca) and EIC (European International Contractors) will organise a conference on “Third Country Bids in Public Procurement: Towards a Fair Construction Market“, which will take place on 19 March 2025, in Zagreb.The event will bring together representatives from contracting authorities, ministries, trade unions, industry and EU institutions to discuss the impact of unfair competition from non-EU bidders in European public tenders. The three panel discussions will explore the political, economic, and social challenges, as well as potential solutions for a fairer construction market.
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