Housing affordability has become an increasingly urgent issue across Europe, driven by a persistent shortage in housing supply and rising construction and living costs. In response to this growing crisis, the European Commission has initiated work on the development of an Affordable Housing Plan, which is expected to be presented in early 2026.
At the heart of this initiative is the development of a Strategy for Housing Construction, aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the construction sector while addressing key barriers to housing development.

One of the major challenges identified is the permitting process, which in many member states remains slow, complex, and inefficient. These bureaucratic hurdles significantly delay construction projects and increase costs. The Commission is now exploring ways to simplify and digitalise permitting procedures, which could help accelerate housing development, reduce expenses, and create new business opportunities in the sector.

As part of this effort, the European Commission has launched a stakeholder survey to gather input on the main obstacles in the permitting process and to collect innovative proposals for improvement. 
Participation and contribution of stakeholders are instrumental in this process and all are invited to participate and share their insights in this survey, which will remain open until the end of May 2025.