The European Confederation of Woodworking Industries has (CEI-Bois) welcomed today’s publication of the Housing Package and stands ready to support EU policymakers in delivering on the announced initiatives.
CEI-BOIS said the European Affordable Housing Plan, the European Strategy for Housing Construction, and the expansion of the New European Bauhaus have the potential to advance key policy priorities.
Including:
• recognising the growing need for new, sustainable construction across Europe.
• maintaining momentum and supporting the renovation wave.
• promoting the affordability and sustainability benefits of industrialised construction combined with circular, bio-based materials.
CEI-BOIS said the focus now shifts to implementation, which should proceed without delay, but several critical financial, regulatory, and standardisation challenges remain. These can, however, be addressed through targeted and coordinated measures at both European and national level, such as interalia:
• Enable access to diverse revenue streams, such as carbon storage credits.
• Improve access to capital and insurance.
• Ensure stable demand through strategic public procurement.
• Undertake deep regulatory simplification and streamlining.
• Harmonise national building codes.
• Simplify and accelerate permitting processes.
• Speed up the update and development of harmonised construction products.
• Allocate resources for the consistent implementation of the second-generation
Eurocodes.
• Align standardised methodologies for assessing environmental sustainability with EU
policies and legislation.
• Deliver on the European Commission’s 2025 priority to advance bio-based standards.
CEI-Bois stands ready to work with EU and national authorities to swiftly implement the Housing Package, ensuring that Europe delivers affordable housing faster while strengthening economic growth and sustainable construction.
