COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Strategy for the sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector and its enterprises
Date: 2012-07-31
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: building industry, building insulation, competitiveness, domestic market, innovation, sustainable development, urban renewal

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 31.7.2012  
COM(2012) 433 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Strategy for the sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector and its 
enterprises 

{SWD(2012) 236 final} 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

Strategy for the sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector and its 
enterprises 

1. INTRODUCTION 

The construction sector plays an important role in the European economy. It generates almost 
10 %  of  GDP  and  provides  20  million  jobs,  mainly  in  micro  and  small  enterprises. 
Construction  is  also  a  major  consumer  of  intermediate  products  (raw  materials,  chemicals, 
electrical  and  electronic  equipment,  etc.)  and  related  services.  Because  of  its  economic 
importance,  the  performance  of  the  construction  sector  can  significantly  influence  the 
development of the overall economy. 

The quality of construction works also has a direct impact on the quality of life of Europeans. 
Not  least,  the  energy  performance  of  buildings  and  resource  efficiency  in  manufacturing, 
transport and the use of products for the construction of buildings and infrastructures have an 
important impact on energy, climate change and the environment. 

The  competitiveness  of  construction  companies  is  therefore  an  important  issue  not  only  for 
growth and employment in general but also to ensure the sustainability of the sector. 
The  sector  could  contribute  significantly  to  job  creation1  by  increasing  its  activity  in  some 
very promising areas, such as the renovation of buildings and in infrastructure, with support 
through,  for  example,  appropriate  policies  to  promote  demand  but  also  to  encourage 
investment. Thus, the construction sector plays an important role in the delivery of the Europe 
2020  Strategy  on  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth.  Furthermore,  the  Commission’s 
Communication on the ‘Energy Roadmap 2050’2 points out that higher energy efficiency in 
new and existing buildings is key for the transformation of the EU’s energy system.  

A sustainable construction sector plays a crucial role for reaching the EU's long term 80-95% 
greenhouse  gas  emission  reduction  objective.  According  to  the  Roadmap  for  moving  to  a 
competitive  low  carbon  economy  in  20503  the  cost-efficient  contribution  of  the  buildings 
sector would  be around 40 to 50% reduction in 2030 and  around 90% in 2050. The needed 
investments  would  contribute  substantially  to  the  competitiveness  of  the  European 
construction  sector.  The  sector  has  also  an  important  role  to  play  in  adaptation  to  climate 
change  and  resilience  to  natural  and  man-made  disasters  by  promoting  long  term  disaster 
proofed investments.  

However, the construction sector is confronted by a number of structural problems, such as a 
shortfall of skilled workers in many companies, low attractiveness to young people due to the 
working conditions, limited capacity for innovation and the phenomenon of undeclared work. 
More  widely,  the  current  situation  of  this  industry  can  be  characterised  by  three  basic 
elements. 

1 

2 
3 

It is estimated that 275 000 new jobs could be created in the sector by 2020. CEDEFOP ‘Skills, Demand 
and Supply’ 2010, p. 96 - http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/Files/3052_en.pdf . 
COM(2011) 885/2. 
COM(2011) 112. 

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Firstly, the construction sector is one of the hardest hit by the financial and economic crisis 
(building  and  infrastructure  works  fell  by  16 %  between  January  2008  and  November  2011 
across  the  EU-274).  Secondly,  there  is  increased  competition  from  non-European  operators 
not only in international markets, but also within the internal market, particularly with regard 
to  infrastructure  projects.  This  external  competition  does  not  always  operate  fairly;  EU 
companies are  often faced with far greater costs than non-European companies.  Finally,  the 
energy  and  environmental  issues  have  created  a  new  dynamic  among  companies  and 
stimulated  various  public-sector  initiatives  which  have  become  key  factors  in  market 
competition.  Significant  progress  has  already  been  made  by  construction  enterprises  but 
achieving  the  EU’s  climate,  energy  and  environmental  objectives  will  require  significant 
changes that will be difficult for the sector to tackle without appropriate policy support. 

The present Communication identifies the main challenges that the sector faces today and up 
to  2020  in  terms  of  investment,  human  capital,  environmental  requirements,  regulation  and 
access to markets, and proposes initiatives to support the sector for this purpose. In the short 
term,  emphasis  is  put  on  the  need  to  support  growth  and  employment  in  the  construction 
sector in response to the crisis. In the long term, the challenges the industry faces will require 
a  concerted  and  coordinated  approach  at  European  level  to  improve  the  functioning  of  the 
value  chain,  particularly  through  voluntary  partnerships  between  the  private  and  public 
sectors and an appropriate regulatory framework, where necessary. 

2. STATE OF PLAY AND KEY CHALLENGES 

The  diversity  of  the  activities  within  each  branch  of  the  construction  sector  results  in 
contrasting  realities  in  terms  of  socio-economic,  organisational,  cultural  and  technological 
issues and adaptation to new regulations and market opportunities. 

There  are  global  challenges  that  can  become  enablers  of  sustainable  growth  in  the  medium 
term provided appropriate measures are taken now. This could result in the development of a 
range  of  services  to  address  issues  such  as  health  and  safety,  energy  efficiency,  green 
building,  disaster  resilience,    indoor  climate,  re-use/recovery/recycling  and  design  to  fit.  If 
properly addressed, these challenges could also open up new market opportunities. 

2.1 The general macroeconomic context 

The financial crisis has particularly affected the construction sector; there have been severe 
drops in demand especially in the private residential market but also in other markets, e.g. the 
infrastructure market. Trends differ from one Member State to another. In some, the burst of 
the housing bubble was one of the triggers and has continued to significantly reduce activity 
in the sector5. In others, the sector suffers particularly from the contraction of credit markets. 
The constraints on public spending due to the crisis will put further pressure on investments in 
infrastructure works. 

Some  countries  have  invested  in  stimuli  packages  as  a  response  to  the  crisis,  for  example 
with up-front investments in infrastructure projects, a reduced VAT rate for new construction 
and/or  renovation  of  buildings,  preferential  interest  rates  for  mortgages,  etc.  However  only 
those  approaches  that  include  measures  aiming  at  upgrading  skills  and  qualifications, 
innovation and a ‘green’ economy will also have lasting effects on the competitiveness of the 

4 
5 

Eurostat press release 169/2011 of 17 November 2011. 
For instance, the production index adjusted by working days decreased by 49 % in Spain and by 76 % in 
Ireland over the period from the 1st quarter of 2007 up to the 2nd quarter of 2011 — Source: Eurostat. 

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sector. This highlights the need for an appropriate policy formulation that stimulates growth 
and  employment  on  the  short  term  but  also  a  restructuring  of  the  construction  sector  in  the 
long term. 

2.2 The performance of the value chain 

The markets of the EU construction sector and the sector itself are highly fragmented, with 
many micro-enterprises, large differences between Member States in the performance of the 
sector and considerable difficulty in spreading good practices. Better value-chain integration 
would significantly increase the scope for spill-over innovation effects from collaboration. 

On-site  construction,  and  to  a  lesser  extent  the  manufacturers  of  construction  products,  will 
increasingly  be  confronted  with  the  need  for  skilled  labour.  The  huge  number  of  skilled 
people retiring between now and 20206, representing over two thirds of jobs in construction, 
industry  and  transportation,  will  also  need  to  be  replaced.  The  chronic  shortage  of  skilled 
labour  can  be  explained,  on  the  one  hand,  by  the  low  attractiveness  of  the  sector  for  young 
people  and,  on  the  other,  by  the  growing  need  for  skills  corresponding  to  specific 
qualifications,  which  education  and  training  (as  well  as  the  employment  market)  have 
difficulty  in  satisfying.  The  transition  to  a  resource-efficient  and  low-carbon  economy  will 
also  bring  important  structural  changes  in  the  construction  sector,  which  will  have  to  adapt 
and anticipate the needs for skills and competences in these areas. This is especially the case 
regarding  the  preparation  of  the  labour  force  for  the  construction  of  ‘near  zero  energy 
buildings’,  whether  this  concerns  new  or  renovated  buildings.  The  deployment  of  enabling 
technologies and the use of flexible work-organisation practices will also require changes in 
skills and qualifications in construction. 

Spending on research and innovation remains quite low compared with industry in general. 
This can however be explained by the intensive manpower requirements and the fact that the 
main  interest  of  construction  enterprises  is  to  integrate  available  external  technological 
developments into their activities. The sector will probably intensify its efforts in research and 
innovation  to  cope  with  the  high  consumption  of  inputs  (such  as  metallic  and  non-metallic 
minerals, chemicals and wood) and the production of large quantities of waste. Moreover, the 
industry  is  developing  more  and  more  materials  that  are  easier  to  collect  and  reuse  and 
systems or ‘building solutions’ that facilitate the ‘deconstruction’ of the works and the re-use 
of  materials.  These  efforts  are  in  line  with  the  new  basic  requirement  listed  in  the 
Construction Products Regulation concerning sustainable use of natural resources, as well as 
with the Raw Materials Initiative (RMI), through the possible development of best practices 
in  the  collection  and  treatment of  waste,  especially  in  recovery/reuse  of  valuable  materials 
from waste, and through support for research on economic incentives for recycling/recovery. 
However, EU and national initiatives need to accelerate the uptake of innovative solutions and 
best practices. 

2.3 The low-carbon economy 
As  announced  in  the  recast  of  the  Energy  Performance  of  Buildings  Directive7,  the 
introduction of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB)8 is going to be a major challenge for 
the construction sector. The market has several years to adapt but support is required for all 

6 

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8 

CEDEFOP ‘Skills, demand and Supply’ 2010 p. 93 http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/Files/3052_en.pdf 
. 
Directive  2010/31/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  19 May  2010  on  the  energy 
performance of buildings. 
For more details on the relevant provisions, please see Directive 2010/31/EU, Articles 2.2 and 9. 

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market actors, ranging from public bodies (which need to implement two years in advance) to 
construction companies, designers, developers, etc. Adaptation will also be required for areas 
such as financing structure, procurement, education and marketing. 

While the number of ‘low-energy’ buildings is growing, a critical mass has yet to be reached 
and  efforts  to  improve  energy  efficiency  and  to  integrate  renewable  energy  sources  are 
progressing slowly. The enforcement of the regulatory framework, together with appropriate 
fiscal policies, should help to achieve a critical mass. 

Also,  in  the  area  of  renovation  of  existing  buildings,  more  needs  to  be  done  to  increase 
energy savings. Moreover, the number of existing building undergoing extensive renovation is 
relatively  modest.  The  ‘Strategy  for  a  competitive,  sustainable  and  secure  energy’9,  the 
‘Roadmap  for  moving  to  a  competitive  low-carbon  economy  in  2050’10  and  the  ‘Energy 
Roadmap 2050’11 therefore put emphasis on the need for more action in the field of buildings, 
especially favouring renovation. This line will have to be pursued. 

Transport  infrastructure  has  an  enormous  environmental  impact  as  well  as  substantial 
energy  and  raw  materials  consumption  and  waste  generation.  Infrastructure  networks  must 
make a major contribution towards a more sustainable Europe. 

2.4  Competition  between  construction  enterprises  within  the  EU  and  in  international 

markets 

Competition  in  EU  markets  has  improved  through  the  application  of  public  procurement 
directives,  the  implementation  of  the  services  directive  and  the  adoption  of  the  European 
design  and  construction  standards  (‘Eurocodes’).  However,  EU  companies  engaged  in  this 
competition  are  not  always  on  an  equal  footing,  especially  with  non-European  companies 
which  are  often  subject  to  less  stringent  social  and  environmental  requirements  and  benefit 
from  state  aid.  Member  States  should  ensure  that  EU  companies  and  non-EU  companies 
compete  for  public  contracts  on  an  equal  footing  without  jeopardising  EU  social  and 
environmental achievements. 

The  situation  in  international  markets  is  even  more  difficult.  Industry  often  faces  serious 
difficulties  not  only  from  the  technical  point  of  view  but  also  in  terms  of  the  conditions  of 
competition  in  other  countries,  e.g.  China,  which  limit  the  opportunities  to  access  these 
markets.  However,  as  European  construction  markets  are  expected  to  grow  at  a  slower  rate 
than  the  emerging  markets,  the  sector  will  need  to  develop  and  maintain  a  stronger  global 
perspective.  It  is  important  for  EU  construction  companies  that  third  countries  open  their 
markets for EU companies to compete on contracts. The EU should strengthen its power to 
engage  non-EU  countries  in  negotiations  to  open  their  commercial  as  well  as  procurement 
markets  further,  to  investigate  possible  discriminatory  procurement  practices  and  to  start 
consultations with the country concerned to solve market-access disputes. 

3. EUROPEAN STRATEGY FOR THE SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE CONSTRUCTION 

SECTOR 

In  order  to  respond  to  the  key  challenges  outlined  above,  a  European  strategy  has  been 
defined  for  the  next  decade.  It  is  intended  to  complement  the  strategies  developed  by  the 

9 
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11 

COM 2010 (639) final. 
COM 2011 (112) final. 
COM 2011 (885) final. 

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enterprises  of  the  construction  sector  themselves  to  improve  their  competitiveness  and  to 
respond to societal challenges. 

This strategy focuses on five key objectives: (a) stimulating favourable investment conditions; 
(b)  improving  the  human-capital  basis  of  the  construction  sector;  (c)  improving  resource 
efficiency,  environmental  performance  and  business  opportunities;  (d)  strengthening  the 
Internal  Market  for  construction;  (e)  fostering  the  global  competitive  position  of  EU 
construction  enterprises.  Each  objective  covers  different  key  challenges;  for  example, 
favourable investment conditions are necessary for stimulating growth, research & innovation 
and the low-carbon economy. Similarly, a sound human-capital basis is essential to improve 
the performance of the value chain and to adopt innovative solutions, in particular for a low-
carbon economy. On the one hand, the strategy suggests recommendations that could address 
the  short  to  medium-term  economic  and  employment  challenges  faced  by  the  construction 
sector.  On  the  other  hand,  it  presents  a  number  of  recommendations  with  a  long-term 
perspective to ensure durable effects on the competitiveness of the sector. 

3.1 Stimulating favourable investment conditions 

Building  renovation  and  TransEuropean  Networks  projects  can  revitalise  the  growth  of  the 
construction  sector  while  helping  achieve  the  objectives  of  the  European  Energy,  Transport 
and  Cohesion  Policies.  Moreover,  combating  late-payment  practices  will  improve  the 
financial viability of construction contractors, in particular craft and small builders, as well as 
their access to credit. In the long term, the construction sector should increase its capacity to 
innovate  with  a  view  to  improving  its  productivity  as  well  as  the  added  value  and  the 
environmental performances of all branches of the value chain. 

3.1.1 Short-term measures 

Particular  emphasis  should  be  put  on  encouraging  the  activity  of  building  renovation  and 
infrastructure  maintenance,  which  represents  an  important  share  of  total  construction 
employment and production. In particular, current building renovation rates12 and practices in 
terms  of  energy-efficiency  improvement  are  insufficient  to  achieve  EU  2020  energy-saving 
targets.  Adopting  the  proposed  targets  of  annually  renovating  3 %  of  central  government 
buildings13  (a  doubling  of  the  current  renovation  rate)  as  well  as  2 %  of  the  whole  building 
stock14  to  cost-optimal  levels  would  not  only  contribute  to  achieving  the  targets  but  also 
ensure  economic  growth  and  employment  at  local  level  throughout  the  EU.  However,  the 
acceptance of these improvements necessitates overcoming a number of regulatory, economic 
and financial barriers.  

First  of  all,  Member  States  should  properly  implement  and  enforce  the  Energy 
Performance of Buildings Directive15. In some Member States, a low level of ambition and 
a failure to enforce building energy codes hamper energy efficiency in buildings and thus fail 
to stimulate the construction sector. 
Fiscal incentives16and financial support measures are well accepted by market operators and 
boost the renovation of existing buildings. However, national schemes and their impact vary 

12 
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14 
15 

16 

The EU average rate of renovation of existing building is 1.2 % per year. . 
Compromise  text  between  European  Parliament  and  Council  for  a  new  Energy  Efficiency  Directive 
(still to be approved) 
Roadmap to a resource-efficient Europe [COM(2011) 571]. 
Directive  2010/31/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  the  energy  performance  of 
buildings (recast), OJ L 153, 18.6.2010, p. 13. 
Such as reduced VAT rates, preferential interest rates, CO2 and energy tax, targeted subsidies, etc. 

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greatly.  Therefore,  an  exchange  of  experiences  could  be  very  helpful  in  understanding 
potential  effects  from  different  angles  as  well  as  the  risks  of  imperfect  implementation  and 
unintended  consequences.  Complementarities  between  these  national  schemes  on  the  one 
hand, and EU and private funds and financial instruments on the other, should also be sought 
in order to optimise the leverage effect. 

The  EU  provides  support  and  funding  through  various  mechanisms  and  the  Member  States 
should  make  more  use  of  them.  Structural  and  Cohesion  Funds  (2007-2013)  may  be  used 
for  energy-efficiency  and  renewable-energy  investments  not  only  in  public  and  commercial 
buildings but also in existing housing. In addition, financial-engineering instruments such as 
JESSICA offer the possibility to invest in small urban development and regeneration projects 
that  would  not  be  financed  through  normal  market  mechanisms.  Equity  funds  and  loan 
guarantees from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction 
and  Development  (EBRD)  and  the  European  Energy  Efficiency  Fund  (EEEF)  together  with 
project development assistance to final recipients, such as ELENA, also provide opportunities 
to leverage public grants. 

A scheme that could stimulate investments in resource-efficient renovation is the development 
of design-build-operation services for small renovation projects with contractual guarantees 
of building performances. This market segment is becoming interesting not only for energy-
services companies (ESCOs) but also for specialised small contractors that could potentially 
also offer performance guarantees for a range of building services. Public intervention could 
support  the  development  of  such  services,  in  particular  in  public  procurement  and  in  the 
residential  sector,  together  with  the  development  of  insurance  products  that  could  cover  the 
technical  risks  related  to  performance  guarantees.  In  particular,  public  authorities  should 
ensure the integration of active energy management and smart metering in renovation. 

Finally, it is important that construction enterprises can access their own financial resources 
within  a  reasonable  time.  The  new  Late  Payment  Directive17  introduces  more  stringent 
provisions, in particular through harmonising the period for payment by public authorities to 
businesses, increasing the statutory interest rate for late payment and allowing businesses to 
obtain  the  reimbursement  of  their  recovery  costs.  In  the  context  of  the  revision  of  the  EU 
Public Procurement Directives, the Commission proposed that Member States should be able 
to stipulate that sub-contractors may request direct payment by the contracting authority for 
supplies,  works  and  services  provided  to  the  main  contractor  in  the  context  of  the  contract 
performance. 

The Commission: 

• 

• 

17 

will  present  by  the  end  of  2012  an  analysis  of  various  EU  and  national  financial 
including 
instruments  supporting  energy  efficiency 
recommendations  as  to  how  public  funding  could  be  better  utilised  to  stimulate 
building renovation; 

in  buildings,  possibly 

will present in 2013 the preliminary conclusions of an ongoing pilot project aiming at 
investigating the scope for deploying insurance schemes that could cover contractual 
performance  guarantees  and  cross-border  services,  especially  for  small  building 
contractors; 

Directive  2011/7/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  combating  late  payment  in 
commercial transactions (recast), OJ L 48/1, 23.2.2011. 

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• 

• 

will  launch  in  2012  an  information  campaign  for  enterprises  on  combating  late 
payment in commercial transactions in all Member States 

will  implement  in  2012,  in  connection  with  the  Late  Payment  Directive,  a  pilot 
project  for  the  rapid  and  efficient  enforcement  of  outstanding  claims  by  SMEs 
operating across borders. 

Member States are invited: 

• 

• 

to  develop  or  strengthen  appropriate  programmes  for  repair,  maintenance  and 
renovation  projects  with  ambitious  sustainability  targets,  including  examining  the 
scope  for  relevant  fiscal  and  financial  instruments  (reduced  VAT  rate,  targeted 
subsidies,  etc.)  and  for  credit  mechanisms  for  renovation  projects  with  ambitious 
sustainability targets. 

to  promote  the  use  of  financial  instruments  and  project-development  assistance 
schemes offered by the Structural Funds, EIB, EBRD and EEEF for small renovation 
projects  with  contractual  guarantees  on  building  performances,  including  the 
frontloading of Structural Funds for energy-efficient buildings. 

3.1.2 Medium to long-term measures 

The new proposal for an EU Cohesion Policy for 2014-202018 places even greater emphasis 
on  supporting  investments  related  to  EU  climate  and  energy  targets  and  suggests  nearly 
doubling the amount allocated to sustainable energy in the current period. It is proposed that a 
significant share of the Structural and Cohesion Funds be allocated to investments supporting 
the  shift  towards  the  low-carbon  economy,  in  particular  energy  efficiency  and  renewable 
energy sources, including for building renovation, and financial instruments will most likely 
play a more important role in the future for tailored energy-efficiency and renewable-energies 
investments in urban infrastructure and the building sector. 

The development of a ’Core Network’, as proposed by the European Commission, ensuring 
efficient multi-modal transport links between EU capitals and other main cities, ports, airports 
and  other  main  economic  centres  is  essential  for  the  economy.  The  European  Commission 
presented  a  new  package  of  measures  on  19  October  2011  designed  to  create  a  favourable 
framework for the development of Trans-European Networks for Transport (TEN-T). This 
package  includes  the  revised  Guidelines  for  the  trans-European  Network  of  Transport,  the 
‘Connecting  Europe  Facility’  with  a  total  budget  of  50  billion  euros  and  a  proposal  for  the 
early implementation of project bonds with the European Investment Bank. 

The  objective  is  to  have  a  ‘comprehensive’  network  in  place  by  31  December  2050  at  the 
latest, whereas the core network is to be implemented as a priority by 31 December 2030. The 
core network corridors, as proposed by the European Commission on 19 October 2011, and 
their  ‘platforms’  will  bring  together  the  Member  States  concerned,  as  well  as  the  relevant 
stakeholders,  e.g.  infrastructure  managers  and  users,  to  guarantee  coordination,  cooperation 
and  transparency.  In  addition  to  these  proposals,  a  minimal  alignment  of  the  national 
administrative procedures will be necessary to ensure smooth implementation of cross-border 
sections of the networks. 

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COM(2011) 615 final. 

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initiatives  such  as 

Research  and  innovation  activities  should  combine  technology-oriented  activities19  with 
socio-economic  research  into  market-based  and  demand-side  instruments  (training,  public 
procurement,  standardisation,  insurance,  etc.)  in  order  to  accelerate  the  transition  from 
research to the exploitation of innovative solutions. This would require a broader partnership 
with  various  interests  within  the  initiatives  that  will  be  financed  by  various  EU  financial 
instruments in order to achieve a wider market perspective and to create a critical mass. In this 
respect,  existing 
the  Energy-efficient  Buildings  Public  Private 
Partnership,Culture Heritage, Smart Cities and Communities and reFINE (research for Future 
Infrastructure  Networks  in  Europe)  could  represent  a  relevant  basis  for  developing  such 
partnerships.  EU  Cohesion  Policy  can  provide  support  for  research  and  innovation  in  these 
areas  under  national  programmes  and  will  also  continue  to  place  a  strong  emphasis  on 
enhancing  the  competitiveness  of  SMEs,  including  their  use  of  ICT.  In  particular,  the 
development of innovation strategies for smart specialisation, as proposed by the Commission 
as a precondition for the use of Structural Funds in the next programming period 2014-2020, 
will contribute to delivering more targeted Structural Funds support and a strategic approach 
to harnessing the potential for smart growth in all regions20. 

The Commission: 

• 

• 

• 

has proposed in the context of the Cohesion Policy for 2014-2020 that a significant 
share  of  the  Structural  and  Cohesion  Funds  be  effectively  allocated  to  investments 
supporting the shift towards the low-carbon economy, in particular energy efficiency 
and renewable energy sources, including for building renovation, and will continue 
to encourage the use of revolving funds in this area to ensure greater leverage; 

will  develop  a  core  set  of  requirements  for  construction  works  to  be  satisfied  by 
cross-border sections of TENs projects in order to ensure a minimal alignment at a 
technical level of the respective national permit-granting processes; 

will organise, in spring 2013, a conference on innovation in the construction sector to 
identify  the technological  gaps  along the entire value-chain and  to  define an action 
plan to address them. 

The Member States are invited: 

to  develop  with  other  Member  States  and  the  private  sector  joint  co-ordinated 
initiatives  combining  research,  technological  development,  innovative  procurement, 
certification,  insurance,  interregional  clusters,  etc.  to  speed  up  the  market  uptake  of 
new knowledge and technologies at EU and regional levels. The EU will support these 
initiatives with Horizon 2020 and Competitiveness of enterprises and SMEs (COSME) 
2014-2020, not only with direct grants but also with financial instruments to improve 
access  to  finance  for  SMEs  in  the  form  of  equity  and  debt.  National  and  regional 
authorities are invited to ensure an efficient and complementary use of the various EU 
sources of support, including Cohesion Policy funds provided the related operational 
programmes allow for such measures 

19 

20 

These should cover a broad range of domains such as new materials, the use of ICT, recycling/recovery 
of construction and demolition waste, comfort in buildings, etc. 
http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/research-and-innovation/s3platform.cfm. 

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9 

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3.2. Improving the human-capital basis of the construction sector 

Nowadays,  there  is  a  significant  shortfall  of  qualified  workers  for  on-site  construction 
enterprises and to a lesser extent for the construction products’ industry. Moreover, education 
and  training  systems  across  Europe  display  great  variety  in  the  degree  of  centralisation  or 
decentralisation,  the  structure  of  training  provision,  the  role  of  the  social  partners,  financial 
structures and curriculum content. 

It is necessary to better anticipate future skills and qualification needs, to attract a sufficient 
number  of  students  to  relevant  construction  professions  and  to  create  the  conditions  for  a 
better  working  environment  and  career  management,  for  a  greater  mobility  of  construction 
workers  and  for  wider  provision  of  cross-border  services.  This  has  to  take  account  of  the 
impact of the ageing of the EU workforce and of the specific occupational health and safety 
situation of the sector. 

3.2.1 Short-term measures 

The BUILD UP Skills initiative carried out under the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme 
aims  at  adapting  the  vocational  education  and  training  (VET)  system  to  skills  and 
qualifications needs in terms of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. BUILD UP 
Skills  will  allow  the  definition  of  national  qualification  roadmaps  to  2020  and  support  the 
setting up of large-scale training and certification schemes as well as qualification design to 
upgrade existing structures, where relevant, with the support of funding instruments like the 
European  Social  Fund  and  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  and  its  proposed  successor 
programme,  Erasmus  For  All.  It  would  increase  the  number  of  qualified  on-site  workers  on 
the market and improve the confidence of building-owners to invest in energy improvements. 

This  initiative  could  also  serve  as  a  basis  for  identifying  curricula,  training  programmes  or 
qualifications  needs  in  other  areas  related  to construction  and  sustainable  development  (e.g. 
the  industrialisation  of  the  construction  process,  the  use  of  innovative  or  unconventional 
construction products and techniques, the recourse to ICT in building management systems, 
etc.). 

The Commission: 

• 

will carry out an evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills initiative and in particular assess 
whether  it  is  worthwhile  extending  the  scope  of  the  first  initiative  to  include 
additional  categories  of  building  professionals  or  to  other  qualification  needs  in 
relation to the construction process and sustainable development. 

Member States, construction organisations and education institutions are invited: 

• 

to  negotiate  collective  agreements  to  support  skill  development  in  relation  to  the 
BUILD UP Skill initiative or other similar schemes. 

3.2.2 Medium to long-term measures 

The construction sector should improve its ability to identify and anticipate skill needs from a 
strategic perspective and to tailor training and qualification-design programmes accordingly. 
Platforms  exist  in  some  countries  to  identify  future  employment  and  skills  needs  with  an 
indirect impact on the construction sector. An initiative at European level with the support of 
social  dialogue  could  improve  the  exchange  of  information  on  these  needs,  including  the 
sector’s readiness to adopt resource-efficiency practices and to supply sustainable buildings, 
as well as the ability of education systems to meet these needs. 

EN 

10 

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In  this  context,  the  European  Commission  will  support  a  feasibility  study  by  the  European 
social  partners  on  the  establishment  of  a  European  Sector  Skills  Council.  European  Sector 
Skills Councils are networks of national observatories on labour-market and skills analysis at 
a sectoral level, which, under the steering of sectors' representatives, European social partners, 
and  with  the  participation  of  representatives  of  education  and  training  providers,  exchange 
information and good practices in order to draw recommendations on the evolution of skills 
and jobs. 

Also  in  2012,  the  Commission  will  test  the  feasibility  in  sustainable  construction  of  Sector 
Skills Alliances between VET providers, businesses and other stakeholders, with the aim of 
delivering appropriate, updated and new curricula and courses as well as innovative ways of 
delivering VET. 

Promotion  and  deployment  of  instruments  developed  in  the  context  of  EU  policy  on 
continuing  education  should  encourage  the  mobility  of  skilled  workers.  The  Posting  of 
Workers Directive establishes a hard core of clearly defined terms and conditions of work and 
employment  for  minimum  protection  of  workers  that  must  be  complied  with  by  the  service 
provider in the host country. The Directive thus provides an adequate level of protection for 
posted  workers..  To  avoid  any  abuse  and  circumvention  of  rules,  and  to  avoid  ‘social 
dumping’  where  non-host  Member  State  service  providers  can  undercut  local  service 
providers because their labour standards are lower, the enforcement of the Posting of Workers 
Directive  is  to  be  improved,  in  particular  through  better  information  on  the  applicable 
working  conditions,  more  efficient  administrative  cooperation  and  information  exchange 
between  inspection  authorities,  more  effective  inspections  and  the  introduction  of  joint  and 
several liability for the wages of posted workers. 

Finally, the sector faces a dual challenge due to demographic changes. On the one hand, EU 
construction enterprises should look for strategies to counterbalance the declining number of 
young EU workers entering the sector and the considerable number of workers retiring in the 
next  years;  on  the  other,  working  conditions  should  be  improved  to  ensure  higher  life 
expectancy.  This  dual  challenge  require  a  more  attractive  working  environment  and  more 
attention  to  health  and  safety  issues  in  the  future,  to  avoid  early  retirements  due  to 
occupational accidents or diseases. 

The Commission: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

will  promotein  the  context  of  the  EU  Social  Dialogue  initiatives  aimed  at  adapting 
vocational education and training to the future qualifications and skills needs of the 
construction  sector,  including  in  relation  to  resource  efficiency,  identifying  basic 
requirements for skills in specific branches and facilitating the mutual recognition of 
qualifications; 

will  support  the  European  sectoral  social  partners  of  the  construction  industry  to 
create a European sector skills council for the construction sector; 

will  encourage  them  to  develop  initiatives  in  areas  such  as  energy  and  resource 
efficiency  in  buildings,  health  and  safety,  quality  standards  and  training,  including 
apprenticeship for young people. These initiatives may take the form of information 
campaigns  and  training  and  include,  depending  on  the  national  context,  joint 
management of funds 

will, through the Lifelong Learning Programme, test the feasibility of Sectoral Skills 
Alliances  in  sustainable  construction,  i.e.  partnerships  between  VET  providers, 
businesses and other stakeholders, with the aim of delivering appropriate curricula or 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
VET qualifications as well as innovative ways of delivering VET. 

Member  States,  social  partners  in  the  construction  industry  and  education  institutions  are 
invited: 

• 

• 

• 

to act swiftly to adopt the newly proposed directive21 on the enforcement of Directive 
96/71/EC on the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services; 

to establish partnerships for supporting appropriate vocational education and training 
schemes  at  national  and  regional  levels,  which  respond  to  current  and  emerging 
needs of the construction sector, in particular to enhance management capacity and 
the deployment of ICT; 

to launch and support campaigns to make the construction sector more attractive to 
talented people. 

3.3  Improving  resource  efficiency,  environmental  performance  and  business 

opportunities 

The Roadmap to a Resource-Efficient Europe22 outlines the significant impact of construction 
on natural resources, energy, the environment and climate change. Significant improvements 
in construction activities and construction works all over their life cycle have the potential to 
contribute  to  a  competitive  construction  sector  and  to  the  development  of  a  resource  and 
energy efficient building stock, with all new buildings being near zero energy consumers and 
materials resource-efficient. 

Improvements  in  construction  activities  and  construction  works  open  up additional  business 
opportunities, including for SMEs as the action needed may depend on local conditions and 
require  individual  solutions.  As  already  stated  in  the  Roadmap  to  a  Resource-Efficient 
Europe,  the  Commission  will  come  forward  in  2013  with  a  communication  on  sustainable 
buildings,  where  actions  to  support  a  resource  efficient  sector  will  be  further  defined  and 
developed. 

In  order  to  allow  the  concept  of  sustainable  construction  to  be  better  understood  and  more 
widely  used  harmonised  indicators,  codes  and  methods  for  assessments  of  environmental 
performances  will  need  to  be  developed  for  construction  products,  processes  and  works. 
These  should  ensure  a  coherent  and  mutually  recognised  interpretation  of  the  performances 
and  maintain  the  proper  functioning  of  the  Internal  Market  for  construction  products  and 
services. 

The  Commission  will  propose  approaches  to  mutual  recognition  or  harmonisation  of  the 
various existing assessment methods, also with a view to making them more operational and 
affordable  for  construction  enterprises,  the  insurance  industry  and  investors.  This  initiative 
will build on existing platforms, such as the CEN Construction Network, guides such as the 
JRC’s guide to Life Cycle Thinking and Assessment, and European research projects such as 
SuperBuildings and Open House. 

This work will furthermore contribute to the development of a more systematic approach to 
assessing the sustainability dimensions of projects to be financed by public support schemes, 
including  EU-wide  models  for  cost-benefits  analysis.  Pilot  projects  developed  within  the 

21 
22 

COM(2012) 131 final. 
COM(2011) 571 final. 

EN 

12 

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context  of  Green  Public  Procurement  and  regional  policy  could  provide  planning  and 
contracting  authorities  with  the  appropriate  tools,  especially  for  the  renovation  of  existing 
buildings and the upgrading of transport infrastructure. 

Industry stakeholders reported during the public consultation that some construction projects 
may be hampered by the national authorisation process, e.g. delays due to public opposition, 
expropriation issues and the need to obtain several different permits including environmental 
ones. Such issues were identified in the context of the ongoing review of the Environmental 
Impact  Assessment  (EIA)  Directive23,  which  aims  inter  alia  at  simplifying  and  streamlining 
existing procedures, and will therefore have a positive impact in this regard, as the EIA is part 
of the authorisation process. The majority of obstacles result from the various provisions of 
national  legislations  and  administrative  procedures  regulating  the  permit-granting  process. 
This  may  impede  the  formation  of  a  level  playing  field  and  the  dissemination  of 
environmental  technologies.  Whereas  it  is  recognised  that  these  legislations  often  include 
areas of exclusive competence of Member States (e.g. property issues), the Commission will 
encourage  the  exchange  of  information  and  promotion  of  best  practices,  e.g.  through 
voluntary adoption of codes of conduct covering issues such as the duration and steps of the 
permit-granting  process  or 
the  establishment  of  an  arbitration  process  between 
administrations. 

Finally, the goal of re-using, recycling and/or recovering 70 % of construction and demolition 
waste  by  2020  according  to  the  Waste  Framework  Directive  represents  a  valuable  business 
opportunity  for  the  construction  value  chain.  Better  and  clearer  definitions  of  waste, 
harmonised  registration  conditions  for  transporting  waste  and  harmonised  rules  on  the 
characteristics of construction products regarding material use, durability and environmental 
compatibility could be beneficial to industry. 

The Commission: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

will  present  initiatives  to  improve  the  mutual  recognition  of  environmental 
performances  and  risk-assessment  methods,  in  particular  within  the  context  of  EU 
standardisation activities and insurance schemes; 

will support the development of an EU-wide life cycle cost-benefits model for Green 
Public Procurement and for sustainable development principles in regional policy; 

will assess hindrances resulting from national legislation governing the authorisation 
process for major construction projects, with a view to identifying good practices for 
streamlining  the  procedures  (e.g.  codes  of  conduct  for  the  permit-granting  process, 
arbitration process between administrations); 

will develop harmonised rules on the declaration of the performance characteristics 
of  construction  products  in  relation  to  a  sustainable  use  of  natural  resources  in  the 
context of the Construction Products Regulation. 

Member States are invited: 

• 

23 

EN 

to  evaluate  the  performance  of  various  construction  sub-sectors  in  terms  of 
competitiveness and sustainable development at national and regional levels. 

Directive  85/337/EEC,  as  amended,  on  the  assessment  of  the  effects  of  certain  public  and  private 
projects on the environment. 

13 

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3.4 Strengthening the Internal Market for Construction 

The  construction  sector  is  highly  regulated  at  many  levels  (e.g.  the  products,  works, 
professional qualifications, occupational health and safety, environmental impact) and many 
aspects  are  Member  States’  competences.  In  order  to  ensure  a  better  functioning  of  the 
Internal  Market  for  construction  products  and  services,  it  is  important  that  the  legal 
framework  is  as  clear  and  predictable  as  possible  and  that  administrative  costs  are 
proportionate to the objectives pursued. 

This  will  require  a  more  systematic  analysis  of  the  various  regulatory  approaches  and 
administrative  provisions  that  govern  the  implementation  of  EU  legislation  concerning  the 
construction sector. This analysis will show how various EU legal acts interact at European 
and  national  levels  and  if  clarification  or  additional  measures  are  needed  to  reduce  the 
administrative  burden on construction  operators and improve  the functioning of the Internal 
Market in the construction sector. Regarding cross-border services, ‘performance checks’ that 
were made in 2011-2012,  have  assessed  the cross-impact of various EU  legal acts  affecting 
construction  enterprises,  thus  identifying  certain  misapplication  of  EU  legislation  and  needs 
for  clarification  and  new  measures  to  be  taken.  It  will  generate  recommendations  for 
accelerating  the  process  of  convergence  of  different  national  and  regional  regulatory 
approaches. 

Eurocodes could facilitate this convergence process. They constitute a set of design standards 
and the most up-to-date codes of practice applicable to all principal construction materials, all 
major fields of structural engineering and a wide range of types of structures and products. It 
is  a  flexible  tool  as  each  country  has  the  option  of  adapting  the  Eurocodes  to  their  specific 
conditions  and  risk  assessment  regarding  climate,  seismic  risk,  traditions,  etc.  The 
Commission  strongly  encourages  the  EU  Member  States  to  take  on  board  the  Eurocodes  as 
their national design codes24 to ensure that buildings are disaster proofed . 
Communication and dissemination activities, such as the BUILD UP web portal25 could also 
support the implementation of legislation and the uptake of new market solutions. 

The Commission: 

• 

• 

• 

will undertake ‘fitness checks’ of EU legislation to identify excessive administrative 
burdens, overlaps, gaps, inconsistencies and obsolete measures; 

will target construction as a priority in the follow up of the Communication on the 
implementation  of  the  Services  Directive  "A  partnership  for  a  new  growth  in 
services"26; 

will  present  a  report  on  the  implementation  of  Eurocodes  in  Member  States  in 
response to the Commission Recommendation 2003/887/EC; based on the results of 
this report, it will then propose action to strengthen or, if need be, enforce the use of 
Eurocodes  in  Public  Procurement  and  other  instruments.,  such  as  national  risk 
assessments and management plans.  

Member States are invited: 

• 

24 
25 

EN 

to develop effective tools for market surveillance in relation to the implementation of 

Commission Recommendation 2003/887/EC of 11 December 2003. 
www.buildup.eu . 

14 

   EN 

 
                                                 
European legislation, as part of the application of Regulation 765/2008/EC. 

3.5 Fostering the global competitive position of EU construction enterprises 

Since 2006, in the context of its international trade negotiations, the EU has been increasingly 
seeking ambitious market-access commitments by other trading partners on trade in services 
and public procurement, especially in the public-works area. One of the latest achievements is 
the  opening  up  of  the  Korean  concession  contracts  to  EU  suppliers  in  the  EU-Korea  Free 
Trade Agreement. 

Specific  intercontinental  fora  with  Africa  and  Latin  America  on  sustainable  construction 
could stimulate a transformation of public procurement in these markets towards performance 
criteria, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. 
The  EU-Africa  partnership  for  transport  infrastructure27  provides  opportunities  to  improve 
transcontinental connections and create a more reliable and safer transport system. 

As for the financing of infrastructure, various EU financial instruments and cooperation funds 
could moreover support the implementation of relevant measures. 

The  EU  initiative  ‘Small  Business,  Big  World’  will  offer  relevant  information,  advice  and 
assistance to small specialised contractors in their attempt to access international markets and 
to find potential business partners. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) also 
facilitates 
in  particular  for 
internationalisation. 

the  development  of  new  business  models  for  SMEs, 

There  is  considerable  interest  in  the  use  of  EN  Eurocodes  outside  the  EU  by  countries  that 
want  to  replace  or  update  their  national  standards  based  on  technically  advanced  codes,  or 
which are interested in trading with the European Union and EFTA Member States. The EU 
— Russia Regulatory dialogue has made significant progress in this respect. 

The Commission: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

26 
27 
28 

has proposed a legislative initiative28 with a view to ensuring the opening up of third 
countries’ procurement markets and a level playing field between EU companies and 
their competitors from abroad; 

will  continue  to  insist  on  securing  ambitious  market  access  commitments  from 
partner  countries  in  trade  negotiations,  regarding  access  to  both  commercial  and 
procurement markets. 

will  liaise  with  the  European  Investment  Bank  to  enhance  the  scope  for  using  EU 
financial instruments in support of transcontinental connections; 

will provide financial support for technical assistance to aid the internationalisation 
of small specialised contractors; 

will develop cooperation with third countries, in particular Africa and Latin America, 
but also in the context of the EU-Russia Regulatory dialogue, the EU Neighbourhood 
policy and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, concerning sustainable construction 

COM(2012) 261 final 
COM(2009) 301 final. 
COM(2012) 124 final. 

EN 

15 

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in public procurement, notably by encouraging these partners to use the Eurocodes as 
a tool for implementing their construction regulations. 

Member States are invited: 

• 

to act swiftly to adopt the newly proposed regulation29 on the access of third-country 
goods and services to the EU internal market in public procurement and procedures 
supporting  negotiations  on  access  of  EU  goods  and  services  to  the  public-
procurement markets of third countries. 

4. GOVERNANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY 

An  action  plan  providing  details  on  the  expected  outcome  from  each  recommendation,  the 
share  of  competence  between  the  European  Commission,  the  Member  States  and  sector 
organisations and the timeline for implementation is attached to the present Communication. 

Implementation  of  the  strategy  requires  streamlining  and  coordination  of  the  many  ongoing 
initiatives  at  EU,  national  and  sectoral  levels  to  create  more  synergies  and  maximise  their 
impact in the short, medium and long term. It should be based on a governance structure that 
combines  coordination  and  monitoring  from  both  a  thematic  and  a  strategic  perspective, 
including: 

• 

• 

A  high-level  tripartite  strategic  forum  (Commission,  Member  States,  sectoral 
representatives)  that  would  comment  on  the  EU  initiatives  that  affect  construction 
and on the implementation of the strategy, subsequently making recommendations on 
any necessary adjustments of the strategy or new initiatives to be launched. 

The  creation  of  thematic  groups  composed  of  Member  States  and  sectoral 
representatives  with  an  interest  in  specific  priorities  of  the  strategy,  which  should 
liaise with existing European networks and projects. These groups will be supervised 
by the Commission services in charge of the specific topic addressed by each group. 

This  structure  would  allow  both  strategic  guidance  from  the  EU  and  a  bottom-up  initiative 
from  Member  States  together  with  the  construction  sub-sectors.  Cooperation  must  be 
strengthened  between  sub-sectors  and  across  the  value  chain  in  order  to  meet  global 
challenges. 

5. CONCLUSIONS 

Given the importance of the construction sector for the EU’s GDP and employment, as well 
as  its  role  in  the  achievement  of  some  of  the  critical  climate,  environmental  and  energy-
related objectives, the competitiveness of this sector is a permanent political priority. 

Furthermore, especially in times of financial and economic crisis, EU policies in the areas of 
climate  change,  energy  efficiency  and  renewable  energies,  in  particular  in  the  context  of  a 
policy for sustained encouragement of building renovation, should be seen as an opportunity 
to revitalise business and employment in the construction sector. 

This  Communication  identifies  areas  with  growth  potential  for  the  enterprises  of  the 
instruments.  Full 
construction  sector,  often  within  existing  policy  strategies  and 

29 

Ibid. 

EN 

16 

   EN 

 
                                                                                                                                                         
implementation  of  these  EU  strategies should, for instance, encourage long-term investment 
in TransEuropean Networks, in research & innovation and in a stronger human capital base, 
thus  reinforcing  the  competitiveness  of  the  construction  sector  both  within  the  EU  Internal 
Market  and  in  international  markets.  This  should  be  accompanied  by  a  clear  and  coherent 
legal framework and harmonised performance-assessment methods for sustainability in order 
to ensure proper functioning of the Internal Market for construction products and services. 

The  success  of  the  proposed  strategy  depends  on  the  commitment  of  Member  States  and 
construction stakeholders at various levels: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

the high level tripartite strategic forum should have a clear brief to conduct a critical 
appraisal of the construction sector’s performance; 

Member  States  and  construction  stakeholders  should  ensure  appropriate  links  with 
national and sectoral agendas for construction; 

Member  States  and  construction  stakeholders  should  facilitate  the  transfer  of 
experience  and  good  practices  from  the  thematic  groups  so  as  to  achieve  their 
operational implementation in construction businesses; 

Each  policy  intervention  should  be  monitored  and  assessed  against  a  number  of 
indicators. 

EN 

17 

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Short term actions (2012-2014) – reference in sections 3.1.1 and 3.2.1 of the Communication 

ANNEX – ACTION PLAN 

Actions 

Output 

Policy context 

Analysis of various EU and national financial instruments supporting energy efficiency 
in buildings  

Fiscal  instruments  and  credit  mechanisms  for  renovation  projects  proportional  to  the 
sustainability targets to be achieved 

European 
Commission report 
and 
recommendations 
on financial support 
for energy 
efficiency in 
buildings  

Directive 
2010/31/EU on 
energy 
performance of 
buildings/ 
Energy 
Efficiency 
Action Plan 2011

Directive 
2006/32/EC on 
energy end-use 
efficiency and 
energy 
services/Directiv
e 2010/31/EU on 
energy 
performance of 
buildings  

Staff Working 
Document on the 
implementation by 
Member States of 
energy efficiency 
measures (including 
fiscal instruments 
and credit 
mechanisms in the 
building sector) 
based on National 
Energy Efficiency 
Action Plans  

Main 
competence 

Time 
horizon 

European 
Commission 

Ongoing – 
end in 2013 

European 
Commission 

2012-2013 

EN 

18 

EN 

 
  
Pilot project on insurance and performance guarantee 

Information campaign on new Late payment Directive 

Pilot  project  for  the  rapid  and  efficient  enforcement  of  outstanding  claims  by  SMEs 
operating across borders 

Evaluation  of  the  BUILD  UP  Skills  initiative  with  a  view  to  extend  the  initiative  to 
other categories of building professionals and other qualification needs 

Financial  engineering  instruments  and  project  development  assistance  for  small  scale 
renovation projects with contractual guarantees on building performances 

Inclusion  of  Build-up  skills  roadmaps  under  the  priorities  for  2014-2020  European 
Social Fund financing 

Preliminary 
recommendations 
on insurance 
schemes to cover 
performance 
guarantees by small 
building contractors

Raising awareness 
of contractors rights 
on payment terms 

Raising awareness 
of contractors rights 
on payment terms 

Evaluation Report  

Report from MS on 
the implementation 
of the financial 
instruments and 
mechanisms 

Build-up skills 
roadmaps rolled out 
through the ESF 
financing 

European 
Commission 

2013 

New pilot project 
supported by the 
European 
Parliament 
(started in 2012) 

Directive 
2011/7/EU 

European 
Commission 

2012 

Directive 
2011/7/EU 

European 
Commission 

2012-2013 

Intelligent 
Energy Europe 
Programme  

European 
Commission 

2013-2014 

Structural Funds  Member States 

2012-2014 

Energy policy 

Regional policy 

Employment 

European 
Commission  

2012-2013 

Member States 

EN 

19 

EN 

 
  
policy 

EN 

20 

EN 

 
  
 
Mid to long term actions (2014-2020) 

1. Stimulating favourable investment conditions – references in section 3.1.2 of the Communication 

Actions 

Output 

Policy context 

Competence 

Minimal  alignment  at  a  technical  level  of  national  permit  granting  process  for  TENs 
cross border sections 

Common EU 
technical 
specification  

Trans-European 
Networks for 
Transport 

European 
Commission 

Time 
horizon 

2014 - 2016 

Identification of technological gaps in the construction value chain and development of 
an action plan to address these gaps 

Joint  coordinated  initiatives  between  Member  States  and  private  actors  combining 
research-innovation-procurement, certification, insurance, interregional clusters, etc to 
speed up the uptake of new knowledge and technologies at EU and regional levels 

Conference and 
recommendations 
on innovation 
priorities for 
construction 

Projects  

Innovation 
Policy 

European 
Commission 

2013 

Member States 

2014 - 2020 

Horizon 2020 
COSME 
EU Cohesion 
Policy Funds 

2. Improving the human capital basis – references in section 3.2.2 in the Communication 

Actions 

Output 

Policy context 

Competence 

Time 
horizon 

EU  Social  Dialogue’  initiatives  for  adapting  vocational  education  and  training  to  the 
future qualifications needs of the construction sector, identifying basic requirements for 
skills in specific branches and facilitating the mutual recognition of qualifications 

Study to develop an 
information 
platform 

EU Social 
dialogue 

European 
Commission 

2012 - 2014 

EN 

21 

EN 

 
  
 
Creation  of  a  EU  Sector  Skill  Council  for  construction  to  develop  initiatives  in  the 
fields  of  energy  and  resource  efficiency  in  buildings,  health  and  safety,  quality 
standards, apprenticeship, joint management of funds by social partners, etc. 

EU Sector Skill 
Council  

EU social 
dialogue 

European 
Commission 

2013-2016 

EU Sector Skills Alliance in sustainable construction  

New jobs for new 
skills 

European 
Commission 

2013 - 2016 

Partnerships to 
deliver adapted 
curricula or 
Vocational and 
Educational 
Training (VET) 
qualifications in 
innovative ways 

To act swiftly for the adoption of the newly proposed directive on the enforcement of 
Directive 96/71/EC on the posting of workers 

Adoption of a new 
EU directive 

Directive 96/71 

2012-2014 

Council and 
European 
Parliament  

Partnerships  for  vocational  education  and  training  schemes  at  national  and  regional 
levels to respond to current and emerging needs of the construction sector, in particular 
in the field of ICT 

Campaigns to make the construction sector more attractive to talents 

Targeted 
Partnerships for 
vocational 
education and 
training (VET) 

Awareness 
campaigns 

National VET 
policies 

Sector 
organisations 

2013-2016 

Sector 
organisations 

2012-2020 

3. Improving resource efficiency, environmental performance and business opportunities - references in section 3.3 in the Communication 

Actions 

EN 

Output 

Policy context 

Competence 

Time 

22 

EN 

 
  
 
 
Mutual recognition of methods to assess the environmental performance of buildings30 

Mutual  recognition  of  risk  assessment  methods  taking  into  account  environmental 
performance,  in  particular  within  the  context  of  EU  standardisation  activities  and 
insurance schemes 

EU  wide  life  cycle  costing  (LCC)  methodology  for  buildings  for  Green  Public 
Procurement31 

Increasing  the  use  of  Green  Public  Procurement  in  regional  policy  in  coming 
programming period32 

horizon 

2014-2016 

European 
Commission 

EU resource 
efficiency policy 
and EU 
standardisation 
policy 

EU 
standardisation 
policy 

European 
Commission 

2014-2018 

Green Public 
Procurement 

European 
Commission 

2014-2016 

Regional Policy 

European 
Commission 

2014-2020 

EU scheme for 
environmental 
assessment of 
buildings and EU 
technical 
specifications 

EU technical 
specifications 

EU guidance on 
Life Cycle Costing 
in public 
procurement 

Further promotion 
of construction 
related GPP criteria 
in EU financed 
projects 

Assessment  of  hindrances  resulting  from  national 
authorisation process for major construction projects 

legislation  governing 

the 

Operational 
conclusions from 
the revision process 
of the 

Environmental 
assessment and 
national permit-
granting 

European 
Commission 

2013-2016 

30 
31 
32 

action to be further developed in the Communication on sustainable buildings in 2013 
action to be further developed in the Communication on sustainable buildings in 2013 
action to be further developed in the Communication on sustainable buildings in 2013 

EN 

23 

EN 

 
  
                                                 
Environmental 
Impact Assessment 
Directive 

Guidance for 
streamlining 
environmental 
assessment 
procedures of 
energy 
infrastructure 
projects of common 
interest 

Harmonised EU 
rules and updated 
harmonised EU 
standards 

procedures 

ENTR/Constructio
n Products 
Regulation 

European 
Commission 

2013-2018 

Harmonised rules on the declaration of the performance characteristics of construction 
products in relation to a sustainable use of resources33 

Evaluation of the performance of construction sub-sectors in terms of competitiveness 
and sustainable development at national and regional levels 

Reports 

National 
construction 
policies 

Member 
States 

4. Strengthening the Internal Market for Construction- references in section 3.4 in the Communication 

Actions 

Output 

Policy context 

Main 
competence 

Time 
horizon 

33 

action to be further developed in the Communication on sustainable buildings in 2013 

EN 

24 

EN 

 
  
 
 
                                                 
“Fitness  checks”  of  EU  legislation  to  identify  excessive  administrative  burdens, 
overlaps, gaps, inconsistencies and obsolete measures 

Review of the Eurocodes implementation in Member States and proposals to enforce 
the  use  of  Eurocodes  in  Public  Procurement  and  other  instruments,  such  as  national 
risk assessments and management plans.  

Market surveillance in relation to the implementation of European legislation 

Evaluation report 
and 
recommendations 
on EU legislation 

Report on and 
possible 
standardisation 
mandate for other 
core construction 
design standards 

Reduced 
complaints from 
industry 

Smart Regulation 

European 
Commission 

2013-2015 

European 
Commission 

2013-2014 

EC 
Recommendation 
Eurocodes 

2003/887/EC 

Regulation 
765/2008/EC 

Member 
States 

5 Fostering the global competitive position of EU construction enterprises - references in section 3.5 in the Communication 

Actions 

Output 

Policy context 

Main 
competence 

Time 
horizon 

Negotiation  of  trade  commitments  regarding  access  to  third  country  commercial  and 
procurement markets 

EU Trade Policy 

European 
Commission 

Ongoing 

Trade agreements 
securing market 
access for 
construction 
products and 
services 

Raise opportunities for using EU financial instruments, e.g. from European Investment 

Targeted 
information on the 

E.g. EU-Africa 
partnership for 

European 

2013-2016 

EN 

25 

EN 

 
  
 
 
Bank, in support to transcontinental connections 

use of EU financial 
instruments 

transport 
infrastructure 

Commission 

Financial support to technical assistance to the internationalisation of small specialised 
contractors 

Technical 
assistance to EU 
small contractors 

“Small business, 
Big World “ 
Communication 

European 
Commission 

2012-2015 

Develop  co-operation  with  Africa,  Latin  America,  Russia  ,  Neighbourhood  countries 
concerning sustainable construction in public procurement 

International forum 

To act swiftly for the adoption of the newly proposed regulation on the access of third-
country  goods  and  services  to  EU  public  procurement  and  procedures  supporting 
negotiations on access of EU goods and services to the public procurement markets of 
third countries 

Adoption of an EU 
regulation 

EU foreign and 
regulatory 
dialogue 

Proposal for a 
regulation on 
market access 
reciprocity 

European 
Commission 

2013-2015 

Member 
States 

2012-2014 

EN 

26 

EN