Highlights

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS The European Property Federation welcomes the new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive as a step change in the greening of the European building stock CRUCIAL DECISION FOR A BETTER RENTAL PROPERTY MARKET The Real Estate Council of the Netherlands – Raad voor Onroerende Zaken (ROZ) joins the European Property Federation ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT FUND MANAGERS DIRECTIVE: Problems with scope and possible solutions raised at meeting with Commission STRICTER CRITERIA FOR PROPERTY LOANS UNDER THE CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS DIRECTIVE: EPF Position : Largely negative EPF response to the Commission Consultation REVISION OF THE INSURANCE MEDIATION DIRECTIVE: Landlords targeted. EU INITIATIVES ON LIABILITY AND INSURANCE REGIMES IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR: EPF response to the Elios Report EPF ACTIVITY: 2009 Annual Report EPF EU REAL ESTATE POLICY CHART: Overview of EU Real Estate Policy and EPF activity EU ECOLABEL FOR BUILDINGS: Major problems with the Commission Ad Hoc Working Group’s 2nd draft criteria for the award of the ecolabel COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION ON SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS: No tolerance for designated smoking areas. Owner/manager responsibilities. Penalties. EU LEGISLATION ON DERIVATIVES MARKETS: Would cover real estate interest rate hedging EQUAL TREATMENT DIRECTIVE: Very badly thought out measures for the identification and elimination of barriers to accessibility for the disabled in housing and other buildings COMMISSION CONSTRUCTION POLICY INITIATIVES IMPACTING EPF: 1) Construction Competitiveness, 2) Liability and Insurance Regimes in the Construction Sector, 3) EU Construction Information Platform TREATY OF LISBON: Impacts EU real estate policy in many ways

NEW EU URBAN POLICY AND EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT INTERGROUP: New Commissioner announces new EU urban policy and 69 MEPs launch URBAN Intergroup Urban  policy  generally  means  land  and  city  planning  and  housing  policy.  The  EU  has  only  limited  competence  for  the  former  and  none  for  the  latter.  This  did  not  stop  the  new  Regional  Policy  Commissioner,  Johannes  Hahn,  from  laying  particular  emphasis  on  plans  for  setting  up  a  new  EU  urban  policy  at  his  confirmation  hearing  by  the  European  Parliament.  He  justified  this  inter  alia  by  the  fact  that  cities  are  “heavy  and  wasteful  consumers  of  energy”  (energy  being  a  major  EU  policy  reinforced  by  the  Lisbon  Treaty). At  the  hearing  he  announced  the  immediate  launching  of  a  wide  consultation  procedure. Meanwhile,  the  European  Parliament  has  set  up  an  URBAN  Intergroup  of  69  MEPs,  cross-party  and  cross-committee.  EPF  is  a  partner.  The  President,  Jan  Olbrycht  (EPP)  set  out  the  Intergroup’s  priorities  at  its  first  meeting  on  24  February.  Members  will  find  an  EPF  Secretariat  report  on  the  first  Intergroup  meeting  at  URBAN  POLICY:  New  EU  Urban  Policy  and  European  Parliament  Intergroup.

© 1999 European Property Federation