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European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations

EFCA

EFCA represents the European engineering consultancy industry and promotes fair competition and transparent procurement.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Marta Temido (Member of the European Parliament)

29 Jan 2026 · Water Resilience

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall)

20 Jan 2026 · Water Resilience Strategy

Meeting with Pär Holmgren (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Jan 2026 · Water Resilience

EFCA urges harmonised standards for advanced materials innovation

13 Jan 2026
Topic — The Advanced Materials Act aims to boost European industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
Message — EFCA recommends harmonised technical pathways and standards to streamline regulatory pathways. They urge risk-based assessments and digital tools for lifecycle management.123
Why — Harmonised standards and documentation would reduce administrative burdens for engineering consultancy companies.4
Impact — Foreign raw material suppliers may lose market access as the EU incentivises domestic production.56
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Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for external action

28 Nov 2025

Dear Madam/Sir, Please find attached the feedback from the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA). Kind regards, The EFCA Secretariat
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Meeting with Mirka Janda (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto)

13 Nov 2025 · Exchange of views on the implementation challenges and policy needs related to the Water Resilience Strategy, including regulatory barriers, financing, administrative capacity, and cross-border governance.

European engineers urge clear liability for reused construction materials

5 Nov 2025
Topic — New legislation to promote sustainable production and circular business models across Europe.
Message — EFCA requests updated contract models to ensure fair risk sharing between consultants and clients. They want Digital Product Passports and lifecycle assessments to be mandatory for construction projects. Procurement rules should reward durability and disassembly-ready design instead of the lowest price.123
Why — Clearer liability frameworks reduce the professional risks engineers face when using reclaimed materials.4
Impact — Traditional demolition firms lose business as deconstruction becomes the mandatory default process.5
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Response to New European Bauhaus

17 Oct 2025

Dear Madam/Sir, Please find attached the EFCA reply to this consultation. Kind regards, The EFCA Secretariat
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Meeting with Gianluca Fulli (Acting Head of Unit Joint Research Centre)

17 Oct 2025 · EFCA Report “The Resilience of the European Energy System Current State, Risks and Recommendations”

European engineering consultants demand simplified AI and data rules

14 Oct 2025
Topic — The European Commission initiative aims to simplify digital regulations and provide relief for businesses.
Message — EFCA requests sector-specific guidance and templates to help engineering SMEs navigate the AI Act. They also call for harmonized rules for accessing public construction data across borders.12
Why — Streamlined rules would lower administrative costs and help SMEs manage complex compliance requirements.34
Impact — Technology providers could face new pressures to share data and clarify liability with engineering firms.5
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EFCA demands standardized data for energy AI transition roadmap

1 Oct 2025
Topic — A roadmap for leveraging digital technologies and artificial intelligence in the energy sector.
Message — EFCA calls for open and standardized energy data to build digital twins and predictive models. They also demand targeted support for smaller firms and strategies to minimize the energy consumption of AI systems.123
Why — Standardized data access reduces the cost and complexity of developing specialized engineering design tools.4
Impact — Big-tech firms face pressure to increase investments and minimize their datacenters' environmental footprints.5
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Engineering consultants urge EU to adopt 2040 climate target

17 Sept 2025
Topic — This consultation seeks feedback on amending the Climate Law to include a 2040 target.
Message — EFCA supports a 90% emissions reduction target and calls for harmonized building standards. They also want public procurement rules to prioritize long-term value over the cheapest price.12
Why — This shift would boost demand for specialized engineering services and premium consulting expertise.34
Impact — Competitors from countries with lax environmental laws would face new market restrictions.5
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Meeting with Monika Zsigri (Head of Unit Energy)

17 Sept 2025 · Presentation of the Report on Strengthening the Resilience of the EU Energy System

Meeting with Valentina Schaumburger (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné) and Architects' Council of Europe and

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

EFCA Urges Simplified SME Funding for Transport Projects

4 Sept 2025
Topic — The EU initiative establishes a framework for investing in sustainable transport infrastructure.
Message — EFCA requests simplified access to funding for SMEs and faster procurement procedures. They also advocate for better alignment with other major EU infrastructure policies.123
Why — Simplified rules would allow more engineering SMEs to compete for lucrative EU infrastructure projects.45
Impact — Regulatory authorities and environmental groups may face pressure from accelerated project approval timelines.6
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European engineering consultants demand quality-focused climate resilience rules

4 Sept 2025
Topic — The initiative establishes an integrated framework to address accelerating climate risks across Europe.
Message — The organization requests a reform of public procurement to reward long-term resilience over the lowest price. They advocate for mandating climate-proofing and harmonized risk assessments for all major infrastructure projects.123
Why — Engineering firms would avoid price-based competition while securing larger roles in climate-proofing European infrastructure.4
Impact — Low-cost contractors would be excluded from tenders as quality standards and price floors rise.5
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Meeting with Dan Jørgensen (Commissioner) and

2 Sept 2025 · Water/ Energy Nexus Interaction of Water Efficiency policy and housing policies

Meeting with Pablo Arias Echeverría (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Sept 2025 · situation of European engineers in procurement procedures

Response to Proposal for an amendment to the InvestEU Regulation.

18 Jul 2025

Dear Madam/Sir, Please find attached EFCA's reply to the InvestEU consultation. Kind regards, EFCA Secretariat
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EFCA Urges Harmonized Standards for EU Digital Infrastructure

10 Jul 2025
Topic — This consultation addresses the proposed Digital Networks Act to boost high-speed broadband investment.
Message — EFCA requests a harmonized authorization regime and common technical standards for infrastructure. They advocate for sustainability criteria and including engineering expertise in the governance model.12
Why — This would lower costs by reducing inefficiencies in the design and deployment phases.3
Impact — Suppliers from third countries lose market access if strategic security restrictions are implemented.4
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Meeting with Felix Fernandez-Shaw (Director Directorate-General for International Partnerships) and

9 Jul 2025 · Shaping a new Team Europe approach towards LAC in order to increase the success rate of EU Railways industry on tenders on the region.

European engineering firms demand EU cloud sovereignty in data strategy

8 Jul 2025
Topic — The consultation explores streamlining EU data rules to improve sharing and digital innovation.
Message — The federation advocates for a harmonized legal framework and the development of robust European cloud solutions to protect proprietary information. They also recommend prioritizing the repair of leaking water infrastructure over the needs of new data centers.12
Why — Engineers would face fewer administrative burdens and lower legal risks when managing projects.34
Impact — Non-European cloud providers would lose market dominance as engineers shift toward European alternatives.5
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EFCA urges stricter EU-wide rules for industrial decarbonisation

8 Jul 2025
Topic — The initiative seeks to accelerate industrial decarbonisation while maintaining European industrial competitiveness.
Message — EFCA calls for harmonised emission limits and stronger penalties across all EU member states. They propose that decarbonisation must start at the project design stage through sustainable infrastructure planning. Public tenders should mandate the use of green technologies and recycled materials.123
Why — Prioritizing environmental considerations at the design phase secures a central role for engineering consultants.4
Impact — Heavy industrial polluters would face stricter penalties and lose the ability to pay for damages.5
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European engineering consultants demand sovereign cloud infrastructure

4 Jun 2025
Topic — The EU seeks to expand its cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure capacity.
Message — The federation calls for a sovereign European cloud to protect proprietary engineering data. They propose an expert group to tackle energy consumption and urge prioritizing water infrastructure repairs. These measures aim to ensure sustainable and secure digital growth.123
Why — Local cloud capacity reduces reliance on foreign providers while protecting sensitive industrial intellectual property.4
Impact — American cloud storage companies would lose business as European engineers shift to domestic alternatives.5
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EFCA urges expert group to curb AI energy consumption

4 Jun 2025
Topic — European Commission initiative to accelerate industrial AI adoption and boost productivity.
Message — EFCA recommends establishing an Expert Group to address the rising energy demands of artificial intelligence. They also call for cross-sectoral initiatives to fix staff shortages and the creation of prompt libraries to boost efficiency.12
Why — These measures would position engineering consultants as essential providers of energy-efficient AI solutions.3
Impact — Large technology firms face pressure as the strategy shifts focus toward smaller, frugal models.45
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Meeting with Hans Stausboll (Acting Director Directorate-General for International Partnerships) and

6 May 2025 · Shaping a new Team Europe approach towards Asia and Sub- Saharan Africa in order to develop rail projects in both regions while ensuring the competitiveness of the EU’s railways industry.

Meeting with Felix Fernandez-Shaw (Director Directorate-General for International Partnerships) and

1 Apr 2025 · Plenary Feedback round on previously held GGIA Working Group sessions of 9 different thematical groups regarding Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Meeting with Felix Fernandez-Shaw (Director Directorate-General for International Partnerships) and

31 Mar 2025 · Shaping a new Team Europe approach towards LAC in order to increase the success rate of EU Railways industry on tenders on the region.

Meeting with Sergio Oliete Josa (Head of Unit Directorate-General for International Partnerships)

19 Mar 2025 · Update on the ongoing initiatives to promote EU private sector participation in Global Gateway transport projects.

EFCA urges quality-based selection for EU intellectual services procurement

6 Mar 2025
Topic — Evaluation of EU directives governing public procurement and concession contracts.
Message — EFCA wants intellectual services awarded based on quality rather than price. They also demand better protection for intellectual property and increased transparency.12
Why — This shift reduces price competition and protects their valuable intellectual property assets.3
Impact — Suppliers of low-cost offerings may lose their current advantage in public tenders.4
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Engineering Consultants Call for Early Inclusion in EU Water Strategy

3 Mar 2025
Topic — The strategy establishes a plan to achieve European water resilience by 2040.
Message — Engineers should join early advisory phases like land use planning. A new Blue Transition Fund must finance repairs for ageing water infrastructure.12
Why — Early involvement ensures engineering firms secure contracts for design and implementation.3
Impact — Data center operators may face restrictions due to their high water consumption.4
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Response to Single Market Strategy 2025

31 Jan 2025

The European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) has member associations in 27 countries, representing more than 10,000 companies from the European engineering consultancy industry and related fields. Our sector offers key professional services for constructing the built environment, from housing to large public infrastructures. It also has an essential role in guiding, managing and supporting the value chains behind the construction sector. Consequently, engineers hold a major role in the EU internal market and are thus proportionally impacted by its advantages or drawbacks. Standardisation is a key instrument, though sometimes overlooked, to improve the Single Market. And following the recent publication of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR), hundreds of standards in the construction sector will need to be updated or created over the next few years. This huge work will impact not just legislation, but also the quality of everyday life of all EU citizens. It is both an opportunity and a necessity for the engineering sector to be better represented and its proposals better taken into consideration at the EU institutions and CEN-CENELEC levels. On the topic of circular economy, the engineering sector advocates for the inclusion and wide application of the Whole Life Carbon (WLC) approach. Its scope needs to be widened, from the current limited focus on operational impact in the use phase, to the inclusion of embodied carbon in all aspects. This is also essential in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment, thus addressing both circularity and climate change. WLC is a broad topic that can support and complement the implementation of major legislation such as the CPR, the EPBD and the Taxonomy. For more details, please consult our WLC Roadmap in the attached document. Digitalisation is also an important pillar of the Single Market, and EFCA welcomes its proposed expansion. The engineering sector is looking forward not only to increased digitalisation in technical aspects, but also in administrative and legal ones, e.g. for various types of permits and other documentation. These changes can significantly reduce times and contribute to a higher quality administration and construction works. Improving public procurement is certainly one of the main routes to improve the Single Market. While there is a separate consultation on this topic, EFCA would like to mention here its support for changes that will ensure a wide applicability of sustainable-based procurement, especially in the case of infrastructure. This will also contribute to the climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, and in timely achieving the completion of TEN infrastructures. More details about this can be found in the EFCA-EIC Toolkit for the Procurement of Sustainable Infrastructure, part of the attached document. The Single Market had already achieved a lot of success in terms of educational and professional recognition at the EU level, including in the case of regulated professions. While some older issues may remain to be addressed, it is more important to focus on the new challenges, such as aligning the various developments and initiatives among themselves. A concrete example is giving the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Academies a greater focus on engineering. Finally, EFCA welcomes the efforts to improve the legislative framework for SMEs, especially since most engineering companies are within this category. Reducing the administrative (and thus financial) burden for SMEs is very important, especially through measures increased digitalisation or the aim to have a single, harmonised (or unified) set of documents, permits, approvals, etc. that SMEs will be required regardless which EU state they choose to work in. All these are de facto barriers for SMEs to work freely across the EU, especially since some national markets are harder to access (e.g. Austria) than others, and their removal should be prioritised.
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Meeting with Christian Thiel (Head of Unit Joint Research Centre)

13 Jan 2025 · Exchange of views on Artificial Intelligence and Energy Efficiency

EFCA urges rapid quantum deployment for European digital autonomy

28 Jun 2024
Topic — This consultation explores scenarios for mastering Europe's digital infrastructure needs and connectivity rollout.
Message — EFCA calls for the rapid deployment of quantum computers and digital infrastructure to support technologies like AI. They urge the Commission to address the cloud investment gap and ensure sophisticated cyber security measures. Finally, data centers must manage energy usage by producing green energy and reusing heat waste.123
Why — Advanced digital infrastructure would allow engineering consultants to maximize AI potential for rapid data processing.4
Impact — Households and other industries face competition for energy as data centers increase power consumption.5
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Response to EU financing instrument to support Ukraine

4 Sept 2023

European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Association, on behalf of its members, truly appreciates the efforts of the European Commission toward the reconstruction and its farsighted vision for the future acquis process of Ukraine, carried out in a way that prepares the country for EU accession. EFCA also believes in the importance of acting as soon as possible to allow Ukraine a fast recovery, a smoother integration process, and the strengthening of its democratic system. EFCA also would underline how the engineering consulting sector will be pivotal for such a plan, especially for the modernization and digitalization of the Ukrainian infrastructure system. We want to express here some comments and suggestions: The Facility offers both non-repayable aid and loans. This is important to ensure that Ukraine has access to the resources it needs, regardless of its financial situation. However, despite the good balance between grants and loans, we advocate for a better allocation of resources from the pillar I to the II and III pillars. The Facility aims to redirect the financial resources for the reconstruction mainly toward EU and Ukrainian firms, but the risk of excessive untied assistance may damage European and local companies due to the dispersion of resources. The corruption risk, despite the robust audit system formalized in the Facility, is still persistent and may negatively affect the entire reconstruction process. We strongly appreciate the efforts the Commission is undertaking to limit the corruption risk, and we would advocate for a centralized procurement system involving national and international evaluators. Moreover, national associations should be involved in this process. The facility should put a stronger focus on rebuilding Ukraine's energy and social infrastructure, (including schools, hospitals, homes, and other facilities that are important to the daily life of the Ukrainian population). This will ensure increasing living standards, a more secure energy supply, and increased independence from fossil fuels. The facility could make more efforts to involve Ukrainian engineers and other professionals in the reconstruction EFCA is aware of the importance of this project and is ready to support the Commission in all the necessary legislative steps, leading its expertise and knowledge of the engineering consultancy world.
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Engineering Consultants Urge Standardized Training for Heat Pumps

26 May 2023
Topic — An EU action plan focused on accelerating heat pump market deployment and decarbonization.
Message — EFCA proposes training programmes and apprenticeships to ensure installers possess necessary skills and knowledge. They also advocate for development of standards and certification schemes to guarantee high-quality installations.12
Why — Engineering firms would benefit from increased demand for planning necessary infrastructure upgrades.3
Impact — Unskilled contractors will be disadvantaged by the introduction of mandatory certification and standards.4
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Engineering consultants urge flexible recycling targets for concrete

3 May 2023
Topic — The EU is defining sustainable investment criteria for circular economy and biodiversity.
Message — EFCA supports lowering the recycled concrete target to 30% because it is more realistic. They request a clause allowing deviations if using recycled materials increases carbon emissions.123
Why — This would allow consultants to prioritize the lowest total carbon emissions in projects.4
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