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CoR report on Housing and Regional Policy

Introduction

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) stresses that access to decent housing for all is a prerequisite for further economic growth and competitiveness within the EU. For this reason, the CoR endorses the European Charter on Housing, as adopted by the European Parliament’s urban housing intergroup in April 2006.

Description

The report's main recommendations include the following:

Provide training for urban planners and local people in the skills needed to improve their housing areas, to develop green spaces, to improve energy efficiency and help neighbourhoods in decline.
Priority should be given to re-use of derelict sites, reclamation of brownfield land to maintain more compact cities and prevent urban sprawl and encroachment into rural communities.
Create a Europe-wide network to capitalise on good practice in the use of intelligent energy in housing, and in energy efficiency education for residents.
Better recognise the role of housing associations – their flexibility and direct relationship with communities enables them to provide solutions which best fit the needs of residents.
Set up Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to exploit derelict areas and provide a means to rehabilitate run down multi-occupancy accommodation.
Make wider use of specialist financial engineering schemes such as JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas), backed by the European Commision, European Investment Bank and the Council of Europe Development Bank, to promote effective housing policies.

EU involvement

The CoR's report comes against the backdrop of increasing signs that housing is becoming a major concern at EU level.

The European Parliament's urban housing intergroup adopted the European Charter on Housing in April last year and Germany, which currently holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, will host a meeting of European Ministers for urban and spatial development in Leipzig on May 24-25.
The European Commission, responsible for drafting EU legislative proposals, has also highlighted the role of social housing in implementing social cohesion and fundamental rights in a recent policy paper on 'social services of general interest'.

Contact info

Committee of the Regions
Mr Dennis Abbott (Press Officer), tel. +32 2 282 2085

Publication date

13/02/2007

Article info
Author: Mrs Flo Clucas
Organisation: Committee of the Regions

Links

Visit the Committee of the Regions website

Download the CoR report on Housing and Regional Policy (PDF, Eng, 120 KB)

Document type

policy

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords

Housing