Brussels, 18/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - As the Commission is giving consideration to the priorities of the new EU budget and the future of its cohesion policy, the Union Sociale pour l'Habitat (USH) has put six proposals to President José Manuel Barroso which seek to slant public authority action towards “smart” investment - investment in the energy efficiency of social housing to create local jobs, save energy and address exclusion and poverty.
In a report which it submitted to Barroso on Tuesday 17 May, the USH presents a mid-term report on the insulation of social housing financed by money from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It puts forward six proposals for action: (1) there should be no breaks between the current and the next planning periods (2012-2013); (2) the experimental period when a 4% cap was put on the national ERDF envelope should be ended in order to unleash the potential for growth; (3) make funding instruments that are adapted to needs and flexible available to the European regions; (4) support specific measures for regional involvement and communication, and inform households how best to reduce spending on heating; (5) reduce the administrative and regulatory load on smart investment project leaders; (6) create a dedicated European fund for the energy performance of housing.
In his letter to Barroso, USH President Thierry Repentin says that “action on heating costs for low-income households through support to make social housing more energy efficient is action against energy uncertainty and action to increase purchasing power. It also helps local development and employment while tackling climate change. It takes everyone forward towards the objectives of EUROPE 2020”. He added: “It is because Europe will be judged on the results on the ground and the changes that benefit citizens that I was keen that the social housing movement should work for the effective implementation of this proposal and monitor it at regional level so that its impact on households and on regions could be measured”.
USH says that in less than 22 months of regional programming, the extension of the ERDF to insulation of social housing has generated more than €1 billion of investment in the energy performance of the said homes in France and helped to create and maintain 15,000 local jobs. 50,000 low-income households will see definite benefits from this measure through significant reductions in their heating bills. The mid-term review is available at: http://www.union-habitat.org/europe (G.B./transl.rt)