While the European Commission is expected to adopt its communication on the ‘New European Bauhaus’ project (see EUROPE 12581/22) on 14 September, the Council of the EU is already considering a first draft of conclusions on the subject.
The draft in question, a copy of which EUROPE has obtained, was prepared by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council and will be examined by the Cultural Affairs Committee - the EU Council’s working group on culture - on Thursday 9 September.
While the contours of the ‘New European Bauhaus’ have yet to be defined - it is generally known that the project aims to combine sustainability, art and culture - the first draft of the EU Council conclusions focuses mainly on the fields of architecture and the built environment.
For example, the Member States and the Commission are invited to “adopt a long-term vision for the built environment”, taking into account both aesthetic and sustainable aspects. They are also called upon to promote an approach that enhances the quality of the built environment while ensuring a balance between contemporary design, landscape setting and respect for the existing cultural heritage.
Another recommendation outlined in the draft conclusions is to ensure that public procurement rules and procedures in the sector “foster a quality-based approach over a solely cost-based one”.
It also calls on states and the Commission to raise awareness and skills of decision-makers about “high quality” standards on architecture and the built environment.
The draft conclusion stresses, for example, the need to build on the international assessment method known as the “Davos Baukultur Quality System” in order to make “informed choices and decisions across the entire building life cycle”.
Finally, the importance of using programmes such as the Cohesion Fund and Erasmus+ to raise quality standards in the design and construction process and to improve the training of architects and other professionals is emphasised. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)