European Property Federation

ENVIRONMENT
issue	impact	status

EU Ecolabel for Buildings

¤ March 2010 ¤

Major problems with the Commission Ad Hoc Working Group’s 2nd draft criteria for the award of the ecolabel.

EPF on Commission Ad Hoc Working Group. Work ongoing. 2nd draft criteria and full EPF comments can be freely accessed (see next page).

EEA Report on Air Pollution from Housing

¤ October 2009 ¤

Could kick-start EU regulation.

EEA report.

Bio-waste Management

¤ August 2009 ¤

Council leaning toward binding legislation.

Green Paper response completed. Commission impact assessment by end year.

Soil Protection Directive (IV)

¤ August 2009 ¤

Provides common European framework strategy integrating soil concerns into other policies, preventing activities that threaten soils, identifying zones needing priority protection, producing action plans, identifying contaminated sites and cleaning them up.

Blocking minority in Council.

Ecolabel for Buildings

¤ January 2009 ¤

Reserved for relevant committees.

Water Performance of Buildings Directive

¤ November 2008 ¤

Water performance renovation and certification requirements and common methodology for calculating water performance.

Initial Commission drafting and consultation with member states following Water Scarcity Communication.

Water Performance of Buildings Directive

¤ September 2007 ¤

See EPF Secretariat report.

Soil Protection Directive (III)

¤ August 2007 ¤

Soil status reports involving owners and prospective buyers.

ESC Opinion, Parliament and Council drafts.

Climate Change Green Paper

¤ August 2007 ¤

First stage of an EU-level framework for integrating climate change into the planning and building processes.

Green Paper.

EU Green Tax

¤ April 2007 ¤

First stage of developing an EU-level framework for market-based environmental and energy efficiency instruments. Habitat banking proposal targets developers.

Green Paper.

EU Initiative on Business and Biodiversity

¤ February 2007 ¤

See Secretariat analysis.

Priority of the Portuguese Presidency (2nd half 2007).

EU Funding for Housing and the Urban Environment

¤ December 2006 ¤

• New Structural Funding for Housing and the Urban Environment.

• Offers greater scope for the funding of housing and urban environment projects, with a new concern for urban sprawl.

Covers the period 2007 to 2013.

Urban Environment – Parliament Resolution

¤ October 2006 ¤

Calls on the Commission to produce Sustainable Urban Management Plans and Sustainable Urban Transport Plans with binding targets for cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants.

European Parliament Resolution.

Soil Protection Directive (II)

¤ September 2006 ¤

See Secretariat analysis.

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Floods Directive-EP 1st Reading

¤ July 2006 ¤

Parliament wants greater participation of citizens and businesses in the cost of anti-flooding infrastructure and more publicity for developments under flood risk.

First Reading.

Revision of the Drinking Water Directive

¤ April 2006 ¤

See Secretariat analysis.

Preparatory work for revision of Directive 98/83/EC.

Breach of EU Environmental Law

¤ April 2006 ¤

Commission legal action concerning two property developments.

First written warning.

Thematic Strategy and Proposal for a Directive on Waste

¤ April 2006 ¤

New property-relevant developments for the definition of waste.

Communication and Proposal for a Directive.

Assessment and Management of Floods

¤ January 2006 ¤

Flood risk assessments, maps and management plans.

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment

¤ January 2006 ¤

See Secretariat analysis.

Commission Communication.

Sonae Sierra Certified to ISO Standard 14001:2004

¤ December 2005 ¤

Shopping and leisure centres developed by Sonae Sierra are fully capable of satisfying the company's Environmental Management System requirements.

. The first shopping and leisure centre company to be awarded this environmental certificate.

. Awarded by Lloyd's Register Quality Insurance.

Soil Protection (I)

¤ September 2005 ¤

Commission’s plans cover regulation of contaminated sites and owner’s duty of care to ensure that soil is used in a sustainable manner.

Communication end 2005.

Flood Risk Management

¤ July 2005 ¤

Property values and insurance issues in flood areas.

Lead-up to Directive.

EU Emissions Trading – Extension to buildings

¤ February 2005 ¤

See Secretariat report.

Flood Risk Management

¤ August 2004 ¤

The threat of repeated floods, sometimes coupled with withdrawal of insurance cover, can make properties impossible to sell.

Action programme proposed to the member states.

Coastal Erosion: Study for European Commission

¤ August 2004 ¤

• Proposes shifting the cost to property owners.

• Affects coastal property development strategies.

Input for the Commission’s EU Soil Strategy.

Environmental Liability Directive

¤ June 2004 ¤

Framework for liability of polluters. Innocent parties such as landowners and property developers not in scope.

Implementation into national law must be completed by 30 April 2007.

Integrated Environmental Performance of Buildings: Commission standardisation mandate to CEN

¤ May 2004 ¤

The standards will underpin future EU environmental performance requirements and certificates for new and existing buildings extending beyond the current energy-focussed legislation to all environmental and sustainability elements such as indoor air quality, accessibility, noise levels, comfort, environmental quality of the materials and the life-cycle cost of the building.

Part of DG Environment’s on-going work on the Thematic Strategy for the Urban Environment.

Sustainable Urban Construction

¤ March 2004 ¤

Commission planning to regulate all environmental aspects of existing buildings.

Communication.

Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases

¤ October 2003 ¤

Involves inspection, record maintenance and recovery obligations for building owners.

Proposal for a Regulation.

Groundwater Directive

¤ October 2003 ¤

Covers seepage from historically contaminated sites.

Under examination by Parliament and Council.

Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment

¤ August 2003 ¤

Wide range of policies for improving the sustainability of the urban environment that are bottom-line significant to property developers.

First consultation phase prior to Interim Communication.

Sixth Environment Action Programme

¤ August 2003 ¤

Sets broad outline of EU environmental policy until 2010. Important basis for Commission proposals. Includes specific remit for property-relevant initiatives such as urban environment, sustainable land use and management, soil protection, groundwater protection, construction and demolition waste, energy efficiency in buildings, indoor air quality.

Parliament and Council Decision.

Environmental Liability

¤ January 2002 ¤

Covers contaminated sites.

Examination by Economic and Social Committee and Parliament.

Construction & Demolition Waste

¤ December 2001 ¤

Could lead to higher standards of waste management by European contractors and their demolition specialist subcontractors.

European Commission internal.

Environmental Liability and the Rights of NGOs

¤ June 2001 ¤

Would enable environmental lobbies to undertake clean-ups at will and present the bill to the owner.

Proposal for a Directive expected in autumn 2001.

Drinking Water

¤ December 1998 ¤

Lead parameter affects pipes in buildings.

Directive 98/83/EC.