With the publication of its 2027 work programme, the European Commission has sent a clear signal to the European real estate sector. The priorities of the Brussels executive aim to reactivate investment incentives and tangibly improve the framework conditions for creating urgently needed housing. According to the Zentraler Immobilien Ausschuss (ZIA), the programme marks a necessary change of course in view of high construction costs and persistently subdued new-build activity across Europe.
Faster procedures and easier lending
ZIA President Iris Schöberl stressed that significant impetus for the sector could emanate from Brussels in 2027. To meet the current challenges, the industry requires a faster pace of implementation and a consistent reduction of bureaucratic hurdles. Key levers include the announced initiative to accelerate official planning approval procedures and a dedicated simplification package for housing construction. Through streamlined processes and less regulation, barriers are to be dismantled and private capital mobilised more effectively once again for residential construction.
Another central pillar is the planned European banking package. This is intended to work towards facilitating the provision of credit to companies and specific project developments. According to industry representatives, stable and unbureaucratic access to financing is the fundamental prerequisite for delivering necessary investments in new builds, existing properties, and the ecological transition with planning certainty.
Regulatory requirements and potentials of single market harmonisation
Despite the announced simplifications, the umbrella association also sees demanding regulatory choices anchored in the work programme. The planned omnibus package for the revision of energy law, as well as initiatives for structural adaptation to increasing heatwaves, will have noticeable impacts on individual buildings and entire neighbourhoods. The association warns that practical solutions must be found to avoid placing an excessive burden on the economy during this phase of transformation.
- —Acceleration of approval procedures and provision of a simplification package for housing construction
- —Improvement of corporate credit supply through the planned banking package for new builds and existing stock
- —Readjustment of energy legislation and climate adaptation measures for neighbourhoods
- —Greater standardisation and expansion of the single market to promote serial refurbishment methods
In parallel, the European Union is driving forward the deepening of the single market. Further harmonisation of construction standards opens up considerable productivity gains and economies of scale. Methods such as serial refurbishment and Europe-wide harmonised construction processes offer the potential to deliver modernisations and new-build projects more time-efficiently and economically in the future.
Iris Schöberl highlighted that the Commission's plans could make a significant contribution to strengthening Europe's competitiveness and reducing social tensions around housing, combined with positive impulses for the wider economy. The Zentraler Immobilien Ausschuss announced that it would support the forthcoming legislative steps in Brussels with technical expertise and actively feed the interests of the real estate industry into European consultations.
