What are the demands of the main construction employers’ associations in Europe? (1)

Madrid, July 15, 2024.- CECE and FIEC are the main construction employers’ associations in Europe. Given the recent holding of the European Elections, both organizations had the opportunity to value their historical demands, which in many cases are similar. Without a doubt, it is a text that I have divided into two installments, to focus our attention on what they ask of governments to promote the construction sector, so strategic for the European economy.

CECE’s 4 key messages

In its manifesto, CECE said construction holds the potential to turn Europe’s Green Deal into a growth strategy, with construction equipment manufacturers as enablers of the green transition. To do so, it set out its key messages in four areas:

1) Single Market: CECE said that Europe’s Single Market, which allows the free movement of people, goods and services across national borders, needs continued dedication to make sure it is protected and strengthened. It called on the incoming European legislature to: reduce the regulatory burden on European companies; apply the market surveillance framework, amid concerns that current practices aren’t addressing product compliance; facilitate compliance with the Machinery Regulation through a comprehensive and timely guide to application for manufacturers; ensure supply chain resilience through further Single Market integration; uphold the role of harmonised standards in the New Legislative Framework by ensuring their swift publication in the Official Journal of the EU; and refraining from creating technical specifications which circumvent the European standardisation system.

2) Path to Decarbonisation: On decarbonisation, CECE emphasised that there needed to be a transition from a solely machine-focused approach to a more holistic view. But it also warned that construction machinery needs sector-specific solutions that can’t just mirror the on-road sector. It called on the legislature to: Synchronise decarbonisation policies with other regions of the world; uphold the principle of technological neutrality; foster the availability of low or net-zero CO2 energy carriers at acceptable costs; Facilitate the large-scale deployment of low and net-zero refuelling infrastructure; Incentivise fleet renewal and upscale the adoption of net-zero machines through European Investment Bank loans; Develop an EU-wide framework for public procurement that supports sustainable European solutions for public tenders; Include synthetic fuels in the definition of CO2-neutral fuels.

3) Digital transition and data: CECE urged policy-markers to remember that digitalisation is not a goal in itself but an enabler of the construction industry. It called for the legislature to: Support for manufacturers for consistent implementation of Cyber Resilience Act and Data Act; Deliver harmonised standards and effective guidance for implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRA); Ensure implementation of the Data Act does not hinder B2B contractual freedom and protection of trade secrets; ensure proper implementation of the AI Act; Tackle digital skills gap in areas such as AI and cyber security by funding training programmes.

4) Global competitiveness: CECE stressed the importance of maintaining the competitiveness of Europe’s construction equipment industry on a global scale and it called for: A conclusion to negotiation of the EU-Mercosur free-trade agreement (with Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay); Finalising of the EU-India free-trade agreement; Enforcement of the EU Customs Union with Turkey; Relevant investigations into unfair commercial practices of EU’s global competitors; A reaffirmed commitment to the reconstruction of Ukraine; Permanent agreement on EU-US tariffs on steel and aluminium. Sustainable mining support across EU. Full implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act.