CEPI Contact #18 - June 2008
NewsThe Annual Report 2007 is available
Call the Secretariat or visit our website www.cepi.eu
Welcome to two new member associations !
During the General Assembly held in København on the kind invitation of the Dansk Ejendomsmaeglerforening (DE), two associations joined CEPI, namely Circulo Imobiliário - Portugal -, as CEAB active member, and The Russian Guild of Managers and Developers of Commercial and Industrial Real Estate (GUD) - Russia -, as CEAB associate member.
It is with great pleasure that we would like to welcome these two new member associations and wish them to establish a fruitful collaboration with all our members.
General Assembly in København
At the initiative of St. Winther-Petersen, CEPI decided last year that the member associations would from now in turn host and organise the General Assemblies.
Dansk Ejendomsmaeglerforening generously offered to pave the way and welcomed the CEPI, CEAB and EPAG in København on last May 5 and 6 for a two days meeting and a heavy load of discussions.
The meetings mainly focused on policy. A first comparative analysis of the codes of conduct was presented, and key messages were discussed and agreed on for upcoming meetings with Members of the European Parliament on June 3. CEPI Contact will report on these meetings in the CEPI Contact #19.
On behalf of the member associations, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the Danish association, its Board and its staff for a perfectly well organised and most enjoyable stay in København.
Legislation and Regulations Professional Qualifications
The European Commission has referred eight Member States (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain) to the European Court of Justice over their failure to inform the Commission of measures taken to implement Directive 2006/100/EC. This Directive provides for technical adaptations to the Directive on professional qualifications further to the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union on 1 January 2007.
The Directive updates all the lists of qualifications which benefit from automatic recognition by completing them with the corresponding Bulgarian and Romanian qualifications. The deadline for transposition of the Directive expired on 1 January 2007. The Member States mentioned have not as yet brought into force all the necessary provisions. Until they do so professionals with Bulgarian or Romanian qualifications risk facing difficulties in exercising their right to work anywhere in the EU.
Mobility in Vocational Education and Training
The European Commission has presented plans for ECVET, a Europe-wide credit system in vocational education and training. Member States are encouraged to sign up to this voluntary scheme whereby units of learning outcomes are defined with an associated number of credit points. These credits can be transferred to the individual's home context for accumulation and achievement of a qualification. The intention is to make it easier for citizens to get formal recognition of knowledge, skills and competences they have gained in another country.
ECVET should be implemented by Member States by 2012. More information concerning ECVET is available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/ecvet/index_en.html
Mediation for Cross-Border Legal Disputes
The European Parliament and Council have reached agreement on a proposed directive to promote the use of mediation as a faster and cheaper alternative to going to court in civil and commercial cross-border disputes. The text of the proposed directive was approved at second reading in April by MEPs in the Legal Affairs Committee. It is expected to be the subject of a vote in the plenary session in June.
Recourse to mediation is voluntary and does not prevent an EU citizen choosing a mediation procedure from having recourse to a court. The scope of the proposed directive is applicable only to cross-border disputes. To ensure that any agreement reached by the parties to mediation proceedings is enforced, the text specifies that the agreement should be applicable in all Member States.
The approved text asks Member States to provide training for national mediators and to encourage the drawing up of voluntary codes of conduct to guarantee a fair trial. An opt-out means that the proposed directive will not apply to Denmark.
European MarketSIMA 08
CEPI participated successfully in the 2008 edition of the real estate fair of Madrid. Surprisingly, the event attracted again over 150,000 visitors, almost equalling the record number of previous edition. CEPI was present with about 50 professionals from several EU countries, among which Hungary, France and Finland had the biggest delegations.
CEPI co-organised the international professional programme. Networking hours for European professionals appeared to be very successful, while the presentation of national markets was an opportunity for brokers to get first hand information from national markets and contacts with professional associations.
CGCAFE took advantage of the fair to organise an event at the occasion of its 40th anniversary. A prestigious gala dinner provided the opportunity to thank numerous prominent affiliates. A joint congress with AEGI, that celebrated its 10th anniversary, discussed status and challenges for real estate professionals in Spain and in Europe.
CEPI takes the opportunity to congratulate CGCAFE and AEGI again. A special thank goes to CGCAFE and its President, M.A. Muñoz Flores, for the very warm welcome in Madrid .
News of the Network Santiago Baena Moreno
Claudine Speltz
In briefStandards for services of real estate agents to their clients
CEN BTTF 180 met in Malaga on May 7 and 8 to discuss final comments to the draft European standards for services of real estate agents to their clients.
At this occasion, CEPI and CEI made public following joint statement:
“CEI and CEPI recognise and support efforts made by CEN to define standards for services of real estate agents to their clients, thereby adding to the sector’s self-regulation instruments.
CEPI and CEI consider the CEN standards as submitted for approval in 2008 to represent general clauses. They consider these standards to be a first step and a basis upon which to adequately define basic professional service provision throughout the European Union. Nevertheless, CEI and CEPI consider that service standards need further development, with a view to making them more fully reflect required professional competence. They will together define higher qualification and ethical standards for real estate agents and explore the terms of a European standard contract between agents and clients. Other strategies will need to be worked out and collaboration schemes will be submitted for approval to the respective Boards.
CEPI and CEI have been invited to set up a common certification scheme for real estate agencies, based on the current CEN standards. Although both associations are not opposed to certification, it seems premature to develop such a system. It is important to first draw up an inventory of certification initiatives in the EU Member States, to understand needs and opportunities before a common viewpoint can be defined. It is also crucial that standards reach a sufficient level of detail to make it possible to measure service and competence in all EU countries”.
A final meeting will take place in Vienna on September 8 and 9, before the voluntary standards are submitted to the appropriate instances for a final vote and adoption.
Agenda General Asemblies
Events
CEPI
Call the Secretariat or visit our website www.cepi.eu
Welcome to two new member associations !
During the General Assembly held in København on the kind invitation of the Dansk Ejendomsmaeglerforening (DE), two associations joined CEPI, namely Circulo Imobiliário - Portugal -, as CEAB active member, and The Russian Guild of Managers and Developers of Commercial and Industrial Real Estate (GUD) - Russia -, as CEAB associate member.
It is with great pleasure that we would like to welcome these two new member associations and wish them to establish a fruitful collaboration with all our members.
General Assembly in København
At the initiative of St. Winther-Petersen, CEPI decided last year that the member associations would from now in turn host and organise the General Assemblies.
Dansk Ejendomsmaeglerforening generously offered to pave the way and welcomed the CEPI, CEAB and EPAG in København on last May 5 and 6 for a two days meeting and a heavy load of discussions.
The meetings mainly focused on policy. A first comparative analysis of the codes of conduct was presented, and key messages were discussed and agreed on for upcoming meetings with Members of the European Parliament on June 3. CEPI Contact will report on these meetings in the CEPI Contact #19.
On behalf of the member associations, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the Danish association, its Board and its staff for a perfectly well organised and most enjoyable stay in København.
Legislation and Regulations Professional Qualifications
The European Commission has referred eight Member States (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain) to the European Court of Justice over their failure to inform the Commission of measures taken to implement Directive 2006/100/EC. This Directive provides for technical adaptations to the Directive on professional qualifications further to the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union on 1 January 2007.
The Directive updates all the lists of qualifications which benefit from automatic recognition by completing them with the corresponding Bulgarian and Romanian qualifications. The deadline for transposition of the Directive expired on 1 January 2007. The Member States mentioned have not as yet brought into force all the necessary provisions. Until they do so professionals with Bulgarian or Romanian qualifications risk facing difficulties in exercising their right to work anywhere in the EU.
Mobility in Vocational Education and Training
The European Commission has presented plans for ECVET, a Europe-wide credit system in vocational education and training. Member States are encouraged to sign up to this voluntary scheme whereby units of learning outcomes are defined with an associated number of credit points. These credits can be transferred to the individual's home context for accumulation and achievement of a qualification. The intention is to make it easier for citizens to get formal recognition of knowledge, skills and competences they have gained in another country.
ECVET should be implemented by Member States by 2012. More information concerning ECVET is available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/ecvet/index_en.html
Mediation for Cross-Border Legal Disputes
The European Parliament and Council have reached agreement on a proposed directive to promote the use of mediation as a faster and cheaper alternative to going to court in civil and commercial cross-border disputes. The text of the proposed directive was approved at second reading in April by MEPs in the Legal Affairs Committee. It is expected to be the subject of a vote in the plenary session in June.
Recourse to mediation is voluntary and does not prevent an EU citizen choosing a mediation procedure from having recourse to a court. The scope of the proposed directive is applicable only to cross-border disputes. To ensure that any agreement reached by the parties to mediation proceedings is enforced, the text specifies that the agreement should be applicable in all Member States.
The approved text asks Member States to provide training for national mediators and to encourage the drawing up of voluntary codes of conduct to guarantee a fair trial. An opt-out means that the proposed directive will not apply to Denmark.
European MarketSIMA 08
CEPI participated successfully in the 2008 edition of the real estate fair of Madrid. Surprisingly, the event attracted again over 150,000 visitors, almost equalling the record number of previous edition. CEPI was present with about 50 professionals from several EU countries, among which Hungary, France and Finland had the biggest delegations.
CEPI co-organised the international professional programme. Networking hours for European professionals appeared to be very successful, while the presentation of national markets was an opportunity for brokers to get first hand information from national markets and contacts with professional associations.
CGCAFE took advantage of the fair to organise an event at the occasion of its 40th anniversary. A prestigious gala dinner provided the opportunity to thank numerous prominent affiliates. A joint congress with AEGI, that celebrated its 10th anniversary, discussed status and challenges for real estate professionals in Spain and in Europe.
CEPI takes the opportunity to congratulate CGCAFE and AEGI again. A special thank goes to CGCAFE and its President, M.A. Muñoz Flores, for the very warm welcome in Madrid .
News of the Network Santiago Baena Moreno
 |
Born in Burgos in 1955, he lives in La Rioja. He is married and has 4 children. He studied Business Administration at EUCE in Burgos, and later completed his curriculum, studying Economics and Business Sciences at the Universidad Complutense (Madrid). He started his professional career (administrator, manager) in the civil service in 1979, where he held different responsibilities until 1989. In 1990, he got his MBA and a master in Human Resources. S. Baena Moreno is auditor, tax assessor, estate agent and property manager. In addition, he holds the presidency of the Colegio de Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria in La Rioja and is President of COAPI, Consejo General de los Colegios Oficiales de Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria de España. S. Baena Moreno has also been active in education, both as speaker in specialized forums of the financial, economic and real estate sector, as well as Technical Director and teacher within different master courses, within special focus on those organized by the Universidad de La Rioja and the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. He is regularly present as writer in different written media, as well as on radio and TV, and he is deemed to be a reference in the financial and real estate market. Auditor - Member of the Registro Oficial de Auditores de Cuentas de España (ROAC), which is part of the Instituto de Contabilidad y Auditoría in the Ministerio de Economía y Hacienda Accounting Expert at Court - Member of the Registro Oficial de Expertos Contables Judiciales Tax advisor - Member of the Registro General de Asesores Fiscales del Colegio Superior de Titulares Mercantiles y Empresariales de España Estate Agent - Member of the Colegio Oficial de Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria de La Rioja. This is a corporation of public law, which S. Baena is currently chairing. Also, and per election of by the presidents of the associations of the other provinces, he is member of the Consejo General (nacional) since 1999 and President since February 2005 Property Manager - Member of the Colegio Oficial de Administradores de Fincas de La Rioja. He was secretary of the first Board of Directors of the association Moreover, he is a member and director of U.P. (Unión Profesional) and of EPAG and was granted the gold medal of the profession of estate agents. He is also honorary member of the Círculo Inmobiliario Español and distinguished with its trophy. |
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Claudine Speltz was born in Belgium but, after her studies of industrial accountancy, she emigrates to the Grand Duché de Luxembourg where she gives birth to two children.. As a Member and socioeconomic coordinator in a movement for permanent education, she sets up a course of socioeconomic training and, within the framework of continuing education, she leads workshops on international taxation at the university centre. At the same time, she shows a particular interest in the women status. In 1986, she establishes as an accounts and fiscal adviser and as a property manager. Since 1994, she has been a member of the Chambre Immobilière du G.D. de Luxembourg (CIGDL). Founder member of many associations, among which the Fédération des femmes chefs d'entreprise du Luxembourg and the Groupement des Syndics professionnels du Luxembourg, she was appointed “Manager of the Year 2004” (women category) by the editorial offices for economics of the Tageblatt (second daily newspaper in Luxembourg). In 2006, she receives the European Trophy 2006 awarded by the Conseil européen Femmes, Entreprises et Commerce (CEFEC), handed over by Simone Weil. |
In briefStandards for services of real estate agents to their clients
CEN BTTF 180 met in Malaga on May 7 and 8 to discuss final comments to the draft European standards for services of real estate agents to their clients.
At this occasion, CEPI and CEI made public following joint statement:
“CEI and CEPI recognise and support efforts made by CEN to define standards for services of real estate agents to their clients, thereby adding to the sector’s self-regulation instruments.
CEPI and CEI consider the CEN standards as submitted for approval in 2008 to represent general clauses. They consider these standards to be a first step and a basis upon which to adequately define basic professional service provision throughout the European Union. Nevertheless, CEI and CEPI consider that service standards need further development, with a view to making them more fully reflect required professional competence. They will together define higher qualification and ethical standards for real estate agents and explore the terms of a European standard contract between agents and clients. Other strategies will need to be worked out and collaboration schemes will be submitted for approval to the respective Boards.
CEPI and CEI have been invited to set up a common certification scheme for real estate agencies, based on the current CEN standards. Although both associations are not opposed to certification, it seems premature to develop such a system. It is important to first draw up an inventory of certification initiatives in the EU Member States, to understand needs and opportunities before a common viewpoint can be defined. It is also crucial that standards reach a sufficient level of detail to make it possible to measure service and competence in all EU countries”.
A final meeting will take place in Vienna on September 8 and 9, before the voluntary standards are submitted to the appropriate instances for a final vote and adoption.
Agenda General Asemblies
|
June |
||
| 3 | SNPI | Paris - France |
| snpi@snpi.com | ||
|
September |
||
| 5 | CEPI Board of Directors | Bruxelles - Belgique |
| November | ||
| 7 or 14 | SKVL | |
| liitto@skvl.fi | ||
| 19-22 | "M" Annual Convention | Malmö - Sverige |
| the.association@maklarsamfundet.se | ||
| December | ||
| 7 | FNAIM | |
| criss@fnaim.fr |
Events
|
June |
||
| 5-7 | XV congreso nacional de Administradores de fincas | Barcelona - España |
| secretaria@cgcafe.es | ||
|
September |
||
| 3-5 | ProEstate 2008 | St Petersburg - Russia |
| www.proestate.ru | ||
| 17-19 | RealEast 2008 | |
| miknem@citromail.hu | ||
| 25-27 | Deutscher Verwaltertag | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
| www.ddiv.de | ||
|
October |
||
|
9-10 |
congrès CIB - CEPI | Gent - België |
|
|
info@cib.be - www.eurefbelgium.com | |
| 23-24 | congrès annuel - CNAB | Tours - France |
| gdelvolve@cnab.fr | ||
|
December |
||
|
8-9 |
62è congrès FNAIM |
|
|
|
criss@fnaim.fr |
| June | ||
| 3 | Lobby day | Bruxelles |
| 13 | CEPI Board |
Bilbao |
| 27 | Presidents' meeting |
Bruxelles |
| September | ||
| 3-4 | F. Burgering and T. Multanen - ProEstate 2008 | St Petersburg |
| 8-9 | X. Ortegat - CEN meeting | Wien |