The annual EU Sustainable Energy Week will take place between 11 and 15 April featuring a series of events in Brussels and locations throughout Europe. On 13 April the International Union of Property Owners (UIPI) will notably host a conference on “Energy efficiency: how to convince property owners to renovate?” The event will be opened by the Commissioner for Energy, Mr. Günther Oettinger. CEPI, represented by Carlo Hein, President of FIABCI Luxemburg, will participate in what promises to be an interesting and stimulating debate on the split incentive: a solution to solving the landlord/tenant dilemma. Click here for more information…

On February 7th, CEAB and EPAG associations have been dissolved before notary. Their activities and assets have been merged with those of CEPI. At the same time, CEPI has adopted new statutes and its General Assembly has elected a new President and eleven new members of the Board. 29 associations have signed the new statutes. 

The European Commission is looking at the revision of the Directive and held a public consultation which closed on 15 March 2011. The revision of the Directive is an important issue for CEPI. We see the most important issues discussed in the consultation as being the possible introduction of a European professional card and, a new idea in the consultation document, a European curricula for various professions to be developed for example on the basis of common sets of competences. This would be a 28th regime, or European training programme additional to national training programmes, for given professions. After having submitted our response, we now look forward to further developments concerning the revision, with the possibility of a Green Paper being published in the autumn.

On 8 March the European Commission published its long awaited Energy Efficiency Plan. The energy efficiency of buildings is a priority issue for CEPI and we welcome the attention paid to improving the energy efficiency of the existing building stock. We particularly welcome the fact that the Commission has recognised that the problem of split incentives must be addressed. In December 2010 CEPI published a joint statement with UIPI on the landlord/tenant dilemma, or who pays for the cost of the work, and who gets the benefit of savings in energy costs. Action has already being taken in some countries to tackle this problem, but it is important to continue to raise awareness of it at a European level and to promote possible solutions within national legal systems. This matters not only to landlords and tenants but also to those who work in the building sector and have to deal with conflicting interests. 

On 21 February the European Commission held a public hearing in Brussels on the consultation launched by DG Internal Market on the Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications. Around 200 participants heard presentations from various experts from different EU Member States and professional associations including CEPI. In his speech, Frans Burgering, CEPI's Past President, focused on The professions and the Single Market: a perspective from professionals. CEPI had been invited to give its views on the third section of the consultation document ("Integrating professionals into the Single Market"), including the introduction of a European professional card, the development of European curricula, numbers of regulated professions and on temporary mobility. These are all important points for the real estate sector, particularly the European professional card and the possible development of European curricula (or a 28th regime). CEPI will now consult further with its member associations and prepare a full response to the consultation. All the presentations have been published by DG Internal Market on its website.

Instruction and education provided by universities and professional institutes are the main means through which future real-estate professionals can gain access to the profession. Several years ago, CEPI set up EUREDUC, a minimum programme for real-estate agents and property managers. The purpose of this programme is to offer a basic course for the main universities, institutions of higher education and vocational schools that provide courses for real estate agents and/or property managers in the EU Member States. After several years and many developments in the profession, it is now time to revise the minimum education criteria... 

The European Commission is setting up a Steering Group on a European Professional Card and has invited CEPI to take part in it. The invitation gives recognition to CEPI’s ongoing efforts to engage in a constructive dialogue with DG Internal Market to follow up and implement the current Directive on Recognition of Professional Qualifications (currently under revision).

The Commission has published a study on interest rate restrictions in the EU. It has opened a public consultation based on this study. The basic objectives of the study were to identify the different types of interest rate restrictions (IRR) and analyse their economic, financial and social impacts on various stakeholders. IRR are legal rules that limit (directly or indirectly) the price of credit contracts.

The European Commission has published a booklet containing information about action which it has taken, or plans to take to improve the stability of the financial system and make it more transparent and responsible. From January 2011, the EU has three new European Supervisory Authorities covering banking, insurance, occupational pensions and securities. A European Systemic Risk Board has also been established to provide early warning of risks as they develop.