State Aid rules would likely be on the table of discussion during the next EU mandate
Our insights from a meeting with the European Commission
Brussels, Belgium, 26 June 2024 | Published in Economy, Future of the EU & Housing
On June 26, the European Commission invited Housing Europe and fellow organisations, such as the International Union of Tenants, Eurocities, Feantsa, and the International Union of Property Owners, to hear their view on whether State Aid rules should be adapted to support housing.
Our Secretary-General, Sorcha Edwards called for legal certainty, where the rules are not relaxed just based on income groups but rather look at the existing housing needs. For example, today, teachers who might earn an average salary still cannot find a decent home near the schools they work at, a phenomenon particularly relevant in big cities. Once again, Sorcha stressed the importance of having a functional, long-term housing system instead of relying only on corrective policies that are trying to fix a dysfunctional market and a financialised housing market.
After the hearing with sectoral organisations, the European Commission listened to the views of EU Member States. Our team will keep a close eye on how the dossier is developing but from all it seems, State Aid rules will be widely discussed in the near future.