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Architects' Council of Europe

ACE

Architects' Council of Europe is the representative organization for the architectural profession in Europe.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Construction services Act

15 Dec 2025

The Architects Council of Europe (ACE) is the representative organisation for the architectural profession at European level. According to the ACE Sector Study, there is every reason to believe that the potential of mobility within the EU is strong, provided that architects can find adequate support. Architectural services are already among the most open and liberalised professional services in the Single Market. In this context, ACE cautions against initiatives that, while aiming to modernise the regulatory framework, could potentially duplicate existing frameworks or introduce deregulation for professional services that are not characterised by structural barriers. Simplification efforts should focus on areas where genuine obstacles exist, such as cross boarder liability insurance, access to public procurement, or planning and building permit processes, rather than on professional services where mobility already functions well. The Commissions call for increased and swifter supply of affordable, sustainable and decent housing across the European Union must be also a call on innovation including off-site and prefabricated solutions and quality-oriented processes. ACE stresses that building permit procedures are widely identified by the sector as a major obstacle to the faster delivery of affordable, sustainable and decent housing. Initiatives aimed at supporting productivity and competitiveness should prioritise the simplification of administrative procedures, rather than introducing additional regulatory burdens that could disproportionately affect small practices. In this context, streamlining building permit procedures and advancing their digitalisation are essential. Addressing housing affordability and accelerating renovation and construction must not lead to the prioritisation of lower-quality, short-term solutions driven by expediency. ACE supports component-based off-site construction. However, challenges remain, notably high upfront costs that may exclude smaller firms and the risk of non-contextual or monotonous design. ACE therefore advocates a balanced approach: supporting adaptable, component-based systems while rejecting uniform, serial production. Architects form a part of a diverse group of professionals that make up the construction industry. It is essential, for the purposes of the Construction Services Act, to clearly distinguish between construction execution activities and planning services. Failure to recognise this distinction risks applying uniform regulatory solutions to fundamentally different activities, potentially undermining quality outcomes and the contribution of planning services to productivity, sustainability and housing delivery. ACE considers that a large part of the issues that architects face, including those identified in this call, are specifically shared by planning services professionals. Planning services as recognised by the ECJ (C 377/17) refer to all activities required to prepare, design, coordinate and manage a building project from early concept to construction. Planning services are central to achieving EU climate and internal market objectives. ACE believes that issues faced by planning professionals, as those highlighted in this call, are best addressed in a legislative instrument that addresses planning service providers as a whole. Such an instrument will arguably better safeguard cross border functioning streamlined across the relevant professions as well as provide necessary standards for quality, safety and sustainability by capturing and harmonising an integral part of construction services. We envision such an instrument to promote consumer protection and climate protection, create a basis for high-quality construction processes, provide minimum standards for qualifications, responsibilities, and independent professional supervision. Further evidence for your consideration is shared in the attached document.
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Meeting with Philippe Moseley (Cabinet of Commissioner Dan Jørgensen)

6 Nov 2025 · Housing and energy performance of buildings

Architects’ Council of Europe urges mandatory design-stage carbon assessments

31 Oct 2025
Topic — The EU is establishing a framework for calculating life-cycle emissions of new buildings.
Message — The council wants mandatory emissions assessments during the building's design phase. They demand binding minimum requirements and harmonized tools to ensure fair competition. They advocate for freely accessible, machine-readable data to assist smaller architecture firms.12
Why — Harmonization reduces administrative burdens while empowering architects to lead sustainable building design.34
Impact — Manufacturers of construction products may face pressure to produce detailed environmental data.5
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Meeting with Stefan Moser (Head of Unit Energy)

22 Oct 2025 · How EU policies can advance high-quality architecture, improve building performance, and address the pressing need for affordable and high-quality housing

Response to New European Bauhaus

14 Oct 2025

The Architects Council of Europe (ACE) has been an early supporter of the NEB and remains committed to contributing to its development. The ACE concurs with the challenges identified by the EC and very much welcomes the actions outlined for the next Communication and Council recommendation. Furthermore, the ACE highlights the following points: Procurement: A high-quality built environment can only be the outcome of quality processes. Implementing the NEB in the construction sector requires procurement procedures that enable excellent and innovative solutions for the built environment. It is of utmost importance to make sure that NEB values and principles will inspire the upcoming revision of the Public Procurement Directive (PPD). In particular, there is a need for intellectual services to be treated differently in the PPD. The PPD should also be improved to provide better access for SMEs and favour approaches that support quality and innovation, like Design Competitions. More in the Luxembourg Declaration on Pub. Proc.: https://ace-cae.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LuxembourgDeclarationPublicProcurement-2025-EN-1.pdf Housing: the NEB must clearly inspire the forthcoming EU actions in the field of Housing. Integrating NEB principles into housing design and urban planning can contribute to the creation of living spaces that are not only functional and affordable but also enriching for individuals and communities, thus fostering social cohesion and environmental stewardship. We call for the EU to support peer-learning among Member States and professionals in the field of housing, so that they can exchange best practices and learn from each other. More on the ACE approach to Housing: https://ace-cae.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Housing-policy-GA-LUX-25.pdf Energy Performance of Buildings: We believe that it is essential to work with Member States to ensure that they embed the NEB values and principles in the national laws transposing the EPBD. The EPBD primarily focuses on energy performance, decarbonization, and renovation rates, but the NEB adds a critical layer: aesthetics, inclusivity, and user well-being. By integrating NEB principles, MS can ensure that buildings are not only energy-efficient but also healthy, accessible, and culturally resonant. Quality assessment: There is a need to develop and apply tools to measure and effectively assess, in an objective manner, the overall quality of what we design and construct. The ACE calls for greater synergies among the NEB tools, the Davos Baukultur process and Level(s). Planning and building regulations: Regulations provide a minimum baseline but are insufficient to ensure, within a long term process, the necessary quality outcomes in lines with the NEB values. Flexibility and the possibility to experiment need to be engrained in planning bodies. The act of building must be envisaged as an evolutionary process leading to an harmonious balance between what is built and what is not. In the process to be carbon net zero in 2050, it will be necessary to re-think for instance on urban and regional mobility, on housing, on industrial areas, on global and urban logistics, on medical health, on education, on agriculture, ../.. and many other day to day areas of living together. Therefore, we need to (re)-use tools like Urban Master planning, to guide processes and the co-development of urban regeneration, in a long term and in a holistic manner. Skills and knowledge: A high-quality built environment is the result of the work of many skilled professionals in the construction sector, but also contingent on the quality of administrative, policy and decision-making processes. We need to create new generations of professionals in local and regional public authorities that adhere to the NEB values. If we really want to transform our built environment, NEB values and principles should lie at the heart of all public policies that have an impact on the built and non-built environment.
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Meeting with Nela Riehl (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair)

9 Oct 2025 · Archtitect's Council Europe

Architects' Council of Europe Demands Quality-First Housing Strategy

18 Sept 2025
Topic — A strategy to increase housing construction productivity and close supply gaps.
Message — The group requests voluntary EU quality criteria and a specialized housing research lab. They advocate for tax incentives for renovations and certification for reused construction materials. Public procurement rules should be revised to prioritize high architectural quality over price.123
Why — These measures would increase the professional influence and market share of architectural firms.4
Impact — Companies profiting from low-quality, standardized mass production would face restricted market access.5
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Meeting with Valentina Schaumburger (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné) and European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations and

10 Sept 2025 · Discussion on the upcoming revision of the public procurement Directives

Response to Review of the State aid rules on the Services of General Economic Interest (“SGEI”)

30 Jul 2025

We welcome the Commissions proposed definition of affordable housing under the SGEI Decision. This definition rightly acknowledges that affordability challenges are increasingly driven by systemic market failures and the energy performance requirements for housing. This is all the more salient when considering the EPSR (2017)s principle on housing affordability. To be effective, it must be clarified that SGEI housing provision should not be limited to the most disadvantaged groups. In the current housing context, middle-income households are also increasingly unable to afford adequate housing often spending more than 30% of their monthly income on rent or mortgages. We therefore urge the Commission to ensure that the definition of affordable housing explicitly includes a wider range of people facing housing exclusion. We encourage the Commission to elaborate on the following criteria within its forthcoming Guidance on General Conditions for SGEI Rules, as outlined in the recent Call for Evidence: Target Group: Broaden eligibility to include students, young adults, single parents, elderly, immigrants and other groups who face increasing barriers to housing despite not meeting traditional definitions of disadvantage. Target Areas: Define target areas using national or regional indicators such as housing cost-to-income ratios, permitting bottlenecks, the quality and availability of housing stock, waiting list durations, and population growth. Affordable Pricing Benchmarks: Establish rent ceilings or purchase price thresholds tied to income levels, ensuring affordability is sustained over the long term. Housing Quality: Define quality not only by energy efficiency and accessibility but also by suitability to user needs, livability, and proximity to essential services. Quality is critical to ensuring affordable housing contributes to both social inclusion and environmental sustainability. To translate this broader vision of affordable housing into practice, we recommend the following implementation strategies: Clear Eligibility Criteria with Flexibility: The Commission should issue guidance that allows Member States to adapt target groups and areas to national and local conditions, while adhering to transparent eligibility frameworks grounded in objective data (e.g., Eurostat housing overburden rate). Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms: Require Member States to regularly assess the impact of their SGEI-designated housing programs, including data collection on affordability outcomes, social inclusion, and energy performance. Safeguards Against Market Distortion: Establish mechanisms to ensure that state aid does not crowd out private investment, such as capping the proportion of SGEI housing in specific markets or requiring mixed-income developments to maintain competitive balance. Incentivize Innovation and Sustainability: Encourage the use of SGEI frameworks to pilot innovative, sustainable, and inclusive housing models (e.g., cooperative housing, off-site construction, circular materials). Integrated Policy Approach: Encourage Member States to align SGEI housing policies with broader urban and social development goals, including planning reforms and efforts to counteract speculation and vacancy. We do recognize, however, that the Commission must tread carefully. An overly broad definition could risk distorting competition on national housing markets. It should incentivise increase in supply, quality and affordability of the European housing stock while at the same time providing legal certainty. Finally, it is crucial to recognize that revising State Aid rules alone cannot resolve the housing crisis. Structural problems such as restrictive planning laws, complex and expensive permitting regimes, market speculation, short term rentals and various other factors that drive up prices on the housing market must also be addressed.
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Meeting with Katharina Knapton-Vierlich (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

23 Jun 2025 · Discussion about the main areas for improvement in the construction sector from the point of view of architects in Europe

Meeting with Stefan Moser (Head of Unit Energy)

11 Jun 2025 · ARCHITECTURAL POLICIES AS A EUROPEAN STANDARD European Conference on Architectural Policies (ECAP) on 11-12 June Panel: Architectural policy in the context of the housing challenges

Response to European Affordable Housing Plan

4 Jun 2025

Currently, many European countries are experiencing a housing crisis, characterised not only by a shortage of affordable housing, but also a loss in quality of new constructions and a poor quality of a significant number of existing dwellings. The ACE calls for continued progress on enhancing the quality of housing across Europe through innovative and strategic approaches. We recommend the following measures: 1. Revise the EU Public Procurement Directive to foster public procurement models that prioritise quality and sustainability. As part of this, promote architectural design competitions. Such competitions emerge as one of the best tools to attract and promote quality results. 2. Streamline building permitting processes and support experimental housing models, to reduce delays and foster innovative solutions. Learn more about the ACCORD Horizon-funded project to advance the digitalisation of building permits: https://accordproject.eu. 3. Develop a voluntary set of criteria for housing quality, on the basis of the Davos Baukultur Quality System (https://davosdeclaration2018.ch/en/davos-baukultur-quality-system) and NEB. These criteria ensure that housing meets functional needs and contributes positively to the aesthetic and social fabric of the area, promoting overall urban development. 4. Support a comprehensive housing data policies at all levels (EU, MS, regions, cities) this can provide valuable insights for shaping effective housing strategies. By monitoring key indicators in housing, we can track progress, identify challenges, and continuously refine policies to meet evolving needs. This data holds untapped potential - Artificial Intelligence technologies can help unlock the full potential of the data available. 5. The ACE supports the legal proposals put forward by House Europe! https://www.houseeurope.eu), including boosting renovation markets with tax incentives. 6. Prepare blueprints that serve the sudden need for shelter, in repurposed buildings and easy to build structures. 7. To ensure that future generations can appreciate the architectural and historical significance of our current housing, we must approach renovations and new construction with care and respect for the legacy we are creating. Policies should be implemented to strengthen historical city cores as depositories of continuous housing, protecting them from the threats posed by gentrification and urban redevelopment. 8. Use housing as beacon to transpose the EPBD and Renovation Passport into general practice. 9. Ensure that the European Affordable Housing Plan and the Strategy for Housing Construction embeds the NEB values and principles. 10. Create a NEB Lab on Housing to collect ideas from the NEB Community. 11. Use Housing as a main topic for a continuous EU debate between Teaching, Professions, Investors and Governance. 12. Establish platforms for showcasing and discussing housing innovations: exhibitions, conferences, and forums to highlight innovations in design, materials, and construction methods. Europes housing crisis demands coordinated and strategic action that extends beyond the mere expansion of housing supply. Future policies must place the quality, sustainability and cultural significance of housing at their core. Housing should be recognised not solely as a market commodity, but as a shared societal responsibility and a cultural endeavour. The ACE therefore offers direct and national support to EU institutions and MS to implement the measures outlined in this paper. These include reforming procurement practices, promoting data-driven policymaking, supporting innovation and education, integrating the values of the New European Bauhaus, safeguarding cultural heritage, and fostering inclusive, participatory governance. Housing is a cornerstone of social cohesion, public well-being, and environmental resilience. Addressing its challenges is both an urgent necessity and a strategic investment in the future of Europe.
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Meeting with Matthew Baldwin (Deputy Director-General Energy) and European Construction Industry Federation and

2 Jun 2025 · Housing, homelessness, social housing, sustainability, short term rental accommodations, construction

Response to Policy agenda for cities

26 May 2025

Architecture is a matter of public interest as it shapes the environments in which we live and interact. It influences the aesthetic, functional and social dimensions of our cities and communities, playing a crucial role in defining the quality of life and cultural identity of a place. As a discipline that intersects with art, engineering, and social sciences, architecture has the power to address pressing societal challenges, such as sustainability, inclusivity, economic growth and cultural vibrancy. By integrating architectural considerations into public policies and by developing effective architectural policies, we can create cities that are not only visually appealing but also sustainable, accessible and conducive to the well-being of all citizens. Integrating the drivers of high-quality architecture into the Agenda for Cities is essential for several reasons: SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY: High-quality architecture plays a pivotal role in promoting sustainable urban development. Sustainable architectural practices, such as energy-efficient building designs, the use of eco-friendly materials, natural based solutions and the incorporation of green spaces are essential for reducing the environmental footprint of cities. By integrating these practices, the Agenda for Cities can help mitigate climate change, reduce pollution and enhance the overall environmental quality of urban areas. ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE: Well-designed architectural spaces contribute significantly to the quality of life in cities. Thoughtfully planned urban environments that prioritise accessibility, safety and comfort foster a sense of community and well-being among residents. High-quality architecture creates inclusive spaces that cater to the diverse needs of all citizens, including those with disabilities, the elderly and children. ECONOMIC BENEFITS: Investing in high-quality architecture can yield substantial economic benefits. Attractive and functional urban spaces attract businesses, tourists and skilled workers, thereby stimulating economic growth. Moreover, sustainable buildings and infrastructure lead to long-term cost savings through reduced energy consumption and maintenance costs. CULTURAL & HISTORICAL PRESERVATION: Architecture reflects a city's cultural and historical identity and inheritance. Integrating high-quality architectural practices into the Agenda for Cities can help preserve and celebrate the unique cultural heritage of European cities, main provider of social attachment and collective memory carrier. This can be achieved through the restoration / re-use of historic buildings and urban spaces, and the promotion of architectural diversity. AI, DIGITALISATION, INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT: Architecture evolves with new technology and materials, enabling innovative designs, urban data management and a link to better planned cities. By embracing these advancements, the Agenda for Cities can foster a culture of innovation in urban development. . SOCIAL EQUITY & INCLUSION: High-quality architecture promotes social equity by ensuring that urban spaces are accessible and inclusive. This includes designing affordable housing, creating public spaces that encourage social interaction and ensuring that urban infrastructure meet the needs of all residents. By supporting social equity in architectural design, the Agenda for Cities can help reduce inequalities and foster a more cohesive urban society. RESILIENCE & ADAPTABILITY: Cities face growing challenges, from natural disasters to economic fluctuations, migration and demographical decrease. High-quality architecture enhances the resilience and adaptability of urban areas by incorporating flexible design principles and robust construction techniques, off-site construction and involvement of new upskilled work force. This can help cities better withstand and recover from adverse events, ensuring the long-term sustainability of urban environments.
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Response to A Culture Compass for Europe

12 May 2025

Architecture plays a crucial role in achieving various policy objectives: energy & resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, climate resilience, social cohesion, economic growth, etc. But it is the cultural dimension of architecture that is paramount, as it lays the foundations for architecture to achieve its full potential. By reflecting and shaping cultural values, beliefs, and identities, architecture has the power to foster social cohesion, promote sustainable practices, drive economic growth, and encourage public engagement. Recognising and leveraging this cultural dimension is essential for creating a built environment that is functional and efficient but also meaningful and resilient. A strong EU cultural policy that champions high-quality Architecture and supports architects is essential for realising the discipline's full potential and empowering professionals to contribute to broader policy objectives. By promoting the cultural dimension of architecture and strongly supporting a cultural approach to the built environment, the EU can play a key role in creating sustainable, inclusive, and economically vibrant communities across Europe. The ACE considers therefore that the Culture Compass should support the achievement of the following objectives: GENERAL - Work towards a holistic, inclusive, transdisciplinary and long-term vision for architecture and the built environment, based on a quality-driven approach according to the NEB values and the quality principles mapped out in the Davos Baukultur Quality System; - Recognise the multi-dimensional nature of high-quality architecture and support cross-sectoral cooperation, participation, co-creation and transdisciplinary approaches; - Support MS to enhance policy coherence for high-quality architecture and built environment through appropriate coordination among all relevant ministries and public administration. ACCESS - Contribute to creating a holistic understanding and shared culture of high-quality architecture by further raising awareness through formal, non-formal and informal education from an early age on. - Support participatory, co-creation principles by involving all stakeholders in processes relating to the built environment. HERITAGE - Promote an approach that fosters dialogue between the existing built heritage and contemporary creation. SUSTAINABILITY - Support high-quality architecture as an important contribution to sustainable development, including the circular economy, social and territorial cohesion, the environment, biodiversity and climate targets. DIGITALISATION - Support the upskilling of architects to support the uptake of tools that can help professionals to enhance design processes, increase productivity, and support sustainable practices. AI should function as a supportive tool for architects, augmenting their capabilities without usurping their responsibility. WORKING CONDITIONS - High-quality architecture is inextricably linked to the working conditions and remuneration of architects. Fair working conditions and appropriate compensation are essential for fostering an environment where creativity and innovation can thrive. - Support knowledge transfer and peer-learning between professionals/ public authorities on high-quality architecture and built environment. COMPETITIVENESS - Create favourable frameworks for high-quality architecture through public procurement rules that foster a quality-based approach over a solely cost-based approach. - Promote the use of Architectural Design Competitions, which are the best way to unlock the competitive potential of architects and to achieve the best result for a high-quality built environment and the most sustainable and economic solution. - Support the mobility of architects within the internal market, as well as the export of their services outside the EU. The potential for further internationalisation of the profession is strong, provided that professionals can find adequate support.
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Meeting with Matthew Baldwin (Deputy Director-General Energy)

22 Apr 2025 · Exchange of views on housing policy

European architects urge shift from price to quality procurement

6 Mar 2025
Topic — The European Commission is evaluating current rules governing public procurement and concession contracts.
Message — The organization calls for a transition from price-centered selection to quality-focused criteria for architectural projects. They suggest establishing distinct procurement chapters to simplify procedures for small businesses.12
Why — This change would improve market access for smaller firms and prioritize architectural design quality.34
Impact — Foreign companies providing low-cost bids would lose their pricing edge against European architectural firms.5
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Architects' Council of Europe urges mobility reforms and regulatory cuts

31 Jan 2025
Topic — This consultation concerns the further development of the European Union's single market.
Message — The group requests an electronic Accompanying Certificate and fixes for mixed qualifications. They also advocate for rescinding the Proportionality Test Directive to avoid regulatory freezes. Finally, they suggest restricting planning services to qualified professionals only.123
Why — This would lower administrative burdens and protect their market from unqualified competitors.45
Impact — Unqualified providers lose access to the design, planning, and renovation service markets.6
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Meeting with Anne Katherina Weidenbach (Cabinet of Commissioner Dan Jørgensen) and Bundesarchitektenkammer e.V.

30 Jan 2025 · Affordable housing

Meeting with Marcos Ros Sempere (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

29 Jan 2025 · Meeting with Architect's Council of Europe

Meeting with Marcos Ros Sempere (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Sept 2024 · Meeting with ACE

Meeting with Lesia Radelicki (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli)

17 Jan 2024 · Presenting their new call to action.

Architects' Council Urges Removal of Duplicative Proportionality Test Rules

27 Nov 2023
Topic — This consultation seeks to reduce EU legislative reporting requirements by twenty-five percent.
Message — The organization believes the Proportionality Test Directive should be removed or revised to avoid duplication with existing professional qualifications and services rules. They argue for reducing the frequency of Reform Recommendations and replacing current indicators with existing OECD tools.1234
Why — This would lower compliance costs and prevent a regulatory freeze on professional standards.56
Impact — The European Commission loses a mechanism it claims reduces legal infringements across member states.7
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Meeting with Ciarán Cuffe (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Jul 2023 · Architecture and high-quality buildings

Response to Update of the Reform Recommendations for regulation in professional services

31 Mar 2021

27 Member States regulate the activities of the architectural profession in different ways. The complexity of the legal, planning and regulatory eco-system within which architects operate informs the balance of ex-ante and ex-post regulation that the different countries employ. Whilst there are continuous improvements that the profession would welcome, they must be based on a clear understanding of the basis on which each Member State regulates. ACE, and the architects it represents, wish to see ongoing improvements in the profession’s competitiveness in the world economy; they want to adapt, change and learn to enable further innovation and drive digitalisation and in particular meet the challenge of President von der Leyen’s New European Bauhaus initiative. If the eco-system is to be maintained in each Member State, then specific assessments would be necessary; to avoid a race to the bottom, we should focus more on competences and liability and less on EU averages. The full position of the Architects' Council of Europe is attached.
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Response to Revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU

22 Mar 2021

Delivering the Renovation Wave strategy’s ambitions while addressing the Climate and Biosphere Emergency at the same time, requires changes to the EPBD. The document attached presents the main recommendations of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) to tackle the problems identified in the EPBD inception Impact Assessment. In summary, the ACE recommends: 1. Putting greater emphasis on the role of lifespan of buildings and components to manage the life-cycle impact of buildings; 2. Embedding feedback and the validation of achieved performance in use in the EPBD to accelerate innovation, raise architectural quality and to facilitate accountability for performance; 3. Ensure robust data and evidence base to empower research and promote best practice; 4. Consider and improve all available mechanisms for scaling up renovations while improving quality of life in Europe. ACE comments on the expected impacts of the revision of the EPBD  Economic impacts In addition to the Commission’s points ACE advocates that it is essential to invest in qualitative as well as quantitative performance improvements of buildings Requiring the validation of EPCs with measured data would facilitate the feedback loops required to incentivise this. It is also important to invest in skills, awareness and building resilience before investing in technological and digital solutions that have a short life-span and require a high degree of expertise for design, construction and maintenance. Craftsmanship and skills needed for deep retrofit offer greater returns in terms of economic, social and environmental value than high-risk technological solutions. Again, mandating feedback and benchmarking of achieved performance in use will highlight the whole life costs of high-maintenance solutions and allow the sector for better plan for these.  Social impacts For positive social and cultural impacts ACE recommends - that retrofit initiatives are accompanied by large-scale retrofit of housing for low-income occupants together with neighbourhood social care, health care, educational and inclusivity measures - to ensure that retrofit initiatives are accompanied by investment in local green renewal, sustainable transport and play infrastructure.  Environmental impacts The current uptake of low impact retrofits is a major challenge. To scale up retrofit rates ACE recommends enhancing mechanisms for neighbourhood scale retrofits to include green infrastructure and renewal and to encourage community self-organisation. The future EPBC should provide better incentives for life cycle extension instead of the replacement of buildings. Retrofit in most cases is lower cost and significantly lower environmental impact than newbuild. Most existing buildings, not just historic buildings, have embodied value in their material density and spatial proportions that are extremely costly to replicate with contemporary construction techniques. Most such buildings can become more resilient to the heating climate through design measures to tackle overheating than new buildings that are more lightweight and usually of smaller floor to ceiling height. Building on this resilience and capturing its value should be central to the revision of the EPBD. More recommendations for the review of the EPBD are included in the document attached.
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Response to The New European Agenda for Culture

16 Apr 2018

Generally, the ACE shares and supports the COM's objectives, in particular the willingness to strengthen the European identity through culture. > Actions in the field of architecture The ACE very much welcomes the COM's intention to take "actions in the field of architecture to implement the Davos Declaration". It shares the views of the Declaration that there is “a trend towards a loss of quality in […] the built environment” and that there is a urgent need for “a holistic, culture-centred approach to the built environment and for a humanistic view of the way we collectively shape the places we live in”. Benefits of a high-quality Baukultur for the society are manifold: it “fosters vibrant and mixed-used neighbourhoods [..] provides sustainable living conditions and strengthens social resilience [..] promotes health and biodiversity [..] and ultimately “adds economic value by creating higher-quality and more durable assets and favourable conditions for economic prosperity”. ACE stresses that a high-quality Baukultur requires a regulatory framework that favours quality instead of price. Improving public procurement rules, so they better take into account quality considerations, is therefore of paramount importance. Public procurement must give best examples for quality based procurement decisions. ACE promotes the Architectural Design Competition (ADC) as the best way to achieve decisions which are quality based and project orientated. The principles of Baukultur should apply not only to iconic projects, but to projects of all scales, in metropolitan areas but also in small cities. Projects of significant importance need high quality, but the same should apply to the every day life of EU citizens - housing, working spaces, public spaces, etc. The ACE commits to support the COM in its endeavour to implement the Davos Declaration. > Quality standards for heritage interventions The ACE welcomes the COM intention's to develop "quality standards for heritage interventions". It believes that our built heritage has irreplaceable cultural, social and economic values. It is crucial to deal with it in a sustainable manner to safeguard it for future generations. In order to achieve high-quality heritage interventions, the ACE: 1. Underlines the need for excellent professionals, bringing various expertise, skills and competences, and working all together; 2. Calls for an enabling regulatory framework, allowing for quality-based procurement procedures, supported by appropriate financing programmes; 3. Calls on the MS to raise the awareness and involvement of EU citizens; 4. Notes that there is no contradiction between the protection of the built heritage and the production of contemporary architecture. Smart contemporary architectural interventions on a heritage site can increase its economic, social, environmental and aesthetic values, while enhancing and respecting its cultural and historical significance, as well as integrating the cultural heritage into the life of citizens. ACE stresses the need to find new ways of using our built heritage through adaptive re-use interventions, where possible. Because what we build today is the heritage of tomorrow, ACE calls for public policies that foster and support new architectural creations. > International relations ACE fully shares the views of the COM about the fact that culture is “a vital element in international relations”. It calls on the EU to promote the high-quality of the European built environment in its international relations, in order to enhance the EU the EU attractiveness and support its external projection. European cities show unique qualities and values, rooted in their heritage, and characterised by a high quality of life. These qualities and values can play a significant role in the economic and cultural attractiveness of Europe. They are an added-value when it comes to exporting EU services and accessing new markets internationally.
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Meeting with Dominique Ristori (Director-General Energy)

26 Feb 2016 · Energy Union, energy efficiency