On Monday 9 February, the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Housing adopted by a large majority (23 votes to 6 with 4 abstentions) the recommendations of rapporteur Borja Giménez Larraz (EPP, Spanish) on the housing crisis in the EU.
The report, which incorporated a number of demands from the S&D and Renew Europe Groups, was supported by a pro-European majority, as well as by the ECR Group, which particularly welcomed the introduction of provisions to protect landlords against illegal occupation of dwellings (see EUROPE 13803/13).
The Left and the Greens/EFA opposed and the PfE abstained.
The report is intended to convey a number of messages to the Commission as it plans to introduce legislation on short-term rentals and their negative impact on housing costs.
The Commission has also announced legislation to boost the mobility of construction workers and promised to simplify regulations for the construction sector, for example by speeding up permits and reducing administrative burdens.
The Special Committee’s report broadly supports these objectives.
Regarding short-term and tourist rentals such as ‘Airbnb rentals’, MEPs want future legislation on short-term rentals to strike “a balance between facilitating tourism and the affordability of housing to ensure that the proliferation of short-term rentals does not threaten affordability in cities”.
MEPs also want an adequate share of social and public housing in European cities to increase affordability and the supply of housing for vulnerable people, reports a press release.
In addition, the funds provided for in the European Commission’s plan to promote affordable housing must be allocated specifically to improving the energy performance of residential buildings and combating energy poverty. All new homes must meet quality standards in terms of insulation, energy efficiency and air quality.
The report also recommends that Member States introduce tax incentives to support low- and middle-income households, remove tax barriers for first-time buyers and make long-term rentals more affordable.
In addition, the unused resources of the recovery and resilience plan must be redirected to support the construction and renovation of social, public, cooperative and affordable housing.
MEPs also believe that any revision of State aid rules should facilitate public investment in social housing, while respecting the diversity of national markets.
To cut red tape in the housing sector, Parliament is also calling for authorisation procedures, for example through digital permitting procedures, to be no longer than 60 days where permits relate to sustainable and affordable housing proposals.
All the compromise amendments were adopted. Among other things, they emphasise the need for the EU to strengthen its industrial sovereignty in the construction and renovation sector, by including minimum requirements of European origin for components in projects co-financed by the EU.
The final adopted text was not yet available at the time of going to press. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)