CEPI - European Association of Real Estate Professions

Today CEPI publishes its position on the services package “A services economy that works for Europeans” which was published by the European Commission on 10 January 2017. This package includes legislative and non-legislative initiatives which are of particular interest to the real estate sector. These measures are legislative proposals on the services e-card, proportionality test and services notification procedures, together with a non-legislative communication on reform recommendations for regulation in professional services.

On 16 May the European Commission organised a workshop in Brussels about the first year of operation of the EPC and alert mechanism. Representatives from the five professions currently able to apply for the EPC and competent authorities from different countries debated progress to date, the challenges to be addressed and how the operation of the EPC can be improved.

According to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, house prices rose by 4.1% in the euro area and by 4.7% in the EU in the fourth quarter of 2016 compared with the same quarter of the previous year. Compared with the third quarter of 2016, house prices rose by 0.8% in both zones in the fourth quarter of 2016.

The European Commission published on 17 march an online survey to gather views on the first year of operation of the EPC. Since January 2016, the EPC has been available for general care nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, real estate agents and mountain guides. The Commission is now inviting views and reports of experiences with this initiative. The results will be used to complete the Commission’s assessment of progress to date.

According to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, in the third quarter of 2016 house prices rose by 3.4% in the euro area and by 4.3% in the EU compared with the same quarter of 2015. Compared with the second quarter of 2016, house prices rose by 1.3% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU in the third quarter of 2016.