Construction sector fitness check
Fitness check mandate for the construction sector (2015-2016)
Client: DG Growth- Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
As part of its smart regulation policy, the European Commission wants to keep current regulation fit for purpose through “fitness checks”. The fitness check under this contract should ensure a better functioning of the Internal Market for construction products and services, that the legal framework is as clear and predictable as possible and that administrative costs are proportionate to the objectives pursued. In particular, the purpose of this contract was to assess the impact (both positive and negative) of a number of EU legislative texts on the competitiveness and sustainability of the construction sector from 2004-2014. In addition, this contract sought to identify ways to strengthen the efficiency, the coherence, the effectiveness, the relevance and the EU added value of these legislative texts with respect to the following priority legislative areas: Internal Market (including horizontal and sectorial legislation, public procurement, posting of workers and recognition of professional qualification) and Energy Efficiency, and with respect to the enterprises in the construction supply chain related to the construction and renovation of residential and non-residential buildings, delivering products and/or services from the design stage up to the final commissioning and maintenance of the buildings. Particular attention was paid to the SME related aspects and to the impacts of this legislation on them.
The sources for data and evidence included, not only desk research and literature review, but also extensive interviews (including focus groups) of authorities and stakeholders covering the 28 Member States, visits and in depth analysis of the implementation in 10 Member States and open public consultation.
In short, the overall objective of the study was to:
- evaluate the cumulative impacts (both in terms of costs and benefits) that a number of pieces of EU legislation had from 2004 to 2014 on the construction sector, considering the challenges facing the sector;
- evaluate the efficiency, the coherence, the effectiveness, the relevance and the EU added value of the selected EU legislative texts (on Internal Market and Energy Efficiency, related to construction) and their implementation/national transposing measures with respect to the achievement of the objectives for a more competitive and sustainable construction sector, in particular for SMEs;
- identify areas for regulatory burden reduction, possible improvement of EU legislation with respect to the above mentioned objectives.
