The European Builders Confederation (EBC) is the European umbrella organisation representing national associations of crafts, micro, and small and medium-sized enterprises working in the construction sector.

Ahead of the European elections and changes in the European Commission, EBC shared its messages for a European Union (EU) that stands on the side of construction SMEs and crafts in the 2024-2029 legislature during the event ‘The path forward for empowered construction SMEs and a sustainable built environment’ held at the European Parliament on 11 April 2024.

EBC has issued a press release, whose terms are partially reproduced below.
 
Over the 2019-2024 European mandate, policymakers vigorously articulated, negotiated, and adopted legislations to place the EU on the forefront of the Paris Agreement goals and combatting climate change. In the spirit of the European Green Deal, all sectors of the economy must contribute to delivering a climate neutral continent by 2050. And the construction sector is no exception.

Overcoming major crises and sometimes heated debates, the Green Deal and Renovation Wave strategies have been translated into law. The ambitions to double renovation rates and strive for a climate-neutral building stock must now be set in accelerated motion on the ground.

Construction SMEs and crafts are significant providers of local jobs and boosters of local economies, with the green and digital transition offering potential for sustained activity and opportunities to attract new talent. Ready and eager to continue their efforts for a renovated and energy-efficient built environment, EBC and its construction SMEs and crafts call for: 

• A stable regulatory framework to implement the Green Deal and Renovation Wave acquis
• An inclusive labour market and a strengthened skilled workforce
• A fair internal market with SME at the centre of policies for construction
• A safer, resilient, and more sustainable construction through well-directed funds and financing
• A more innovative and digital construction supported by SME-friendly standards.

Access the EBC messages for the EU legislature 2024-2029 here.