IUT and the European Union

 

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History on housing as a non EU competence

The European housing policy is not on the political agenda of the European Union.
The responsibility for the aims and practical means in housing policy rests with the individual Member States themselves. This policy is referred to as the principle of subsidiarity.
Nevertheless, according to the Amsterdam Treaty, Article 136, the Community and the Member States shall have as their objectives, for example, the promotion of improved living and working conditions, and the combating of exclusion.

Today

The principle of subsidiarity cover important areas as;

  • new constructions, and subsidies
  • reconstruction, and subsidies
  • fiscal policies
  • Rent Act
  • city planning
  • building permits

But, in reality, the work of The European Union does include areas which are of major interest and significance for urban areas and for housing;

  • homelessness and social exclusion, building control and standardisation
  • the demand of a non restriction of competition
  • rules which facilitates the flexibility of households
  • rules that ensures everyone's right to settle down within the EU
  • legal provisions for banks and mortgage institutes - to assure equal conditions
  • research and scientific programmes on sustainable urban planning

Tomorrow

The foundation for a supranational housing policy is already existing. The question is whether there is a trend in the EU towards a more harmonised housing policy.

The monetary union will result in a growing competition inside the EU, and the members of the EU will lose some of their influence when it comes to fighting unemployment, inflation and times of economic recession.
This may result in keeping the subsidiarity. principles, as each country chooses its own economic tools to tackle these problems.

But, it may also go in the opposite direction. The EU promotes a flexible workforce in Europe and the labour market is of course closely linked to the housing market. How can an unemployed move to a country or a region were there are job opportunities, but no housing available?
This also creates a need for a harmonised social legislation.

Housing almost on the EU Agenda !

The Parliamentarians of the European Union all involve themselves in issues that is of major concern to themselves, their parties and their constituencies, mainly in interestgroups referred to as Interparliamentarian Intergroups.
In 2005, a new intergroup on Urban and Housing issues was established and the groups´ first meeting took place on February 24.
This group is chaired by the French MP Jean Marie Beaupuy, Liberal.
More info about M. Beaupuy, click here.
Contact M. Beaupuy: jmbeaupuy@europarl.eu.int


Also available in other all EU languages, click on the English version, and find your own language.

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EHF

IUT chairs, together with RICS, the European Housing Forum, 2009/2010.

IUT, created in 1997, is a partner of the EHF, European Housing Forum. EHF is a network of 11 EU based NGOs involved and engaged in housing and urban planning!

As from June 2009, IUT is chair of the European Housing Forum , together with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) as co-chair.

The member organisations represent housing consumers such as tenants, home owners, and people who are homeless or inadequately housed; housing providers such as social and public housing associations and private developers, and housing professionals such as chartered surveyors, real estate managers, and researchers specialised in housing issues.

- EHF leaflet


Meetings, 2010:
For more information, contact the present chair the EHF, IUT, via Barbara Steenbergen liaison office in Brussels barbara.steenbergen@iut.nu

Partners of the EHF are:

Other links to European organisations on 
Housing and Habitat

 

 

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EU Informal EU Housing Ministers Meetings

 

Charter of Fundamental Rights... 

On December 7-8, 2000, in Nice France, the governments of the EU met to discuss the future Union, the enlargement and also to discuss the Charter of Fundamental Rights... 
This is where housing comes in. 
"the right to housing" was never included in the Charter, paragraph 34. The wording goes " the right to assistance to housing..."
More information about the Charter
- Full text in the EU languages
- Article 34: Social security and Social assistance, incl. housing.

 

IUT definition on Social Housing
(adopted May 4, 2005)
“Social housing is sustainable housing with non-profit rents, or/and rents according to the self cost principle and/or where the access is controlled by the existence of allocation rules favouring households that have difficulties in finding accommodation on the market.“


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International Union of Tenants

Tenants United - participation across borders