These Conclusions are a key element of the Council’s Work Plan for Culture 2019–2022 and in particular the work achieved by the Member States’ expert group on High-quality Architecture and Built Environment for Everyone, which published its final report, Towards a shared culture of architecture.

In furtherance of the 2018 Davos Declaration, the Council underlines the important role of Architecture and the built environment, seen as “embodiments of past and present culture, ways of living and values”. They “establish the stock for our cultural heritage of the future and contribute to shaping our societies and identities”.

The Council also importantly recalls that Architecture is of common interest:

“Architects (…) play a central role in all phases of the development of high- quality architecture and living environment and, can therefore contribute in a significant manner to the public interest”.

The ACE very much welcomed the Council’s call on the EU Member States and the Commission to “work towards a holistic, inclusive, transdisciplinary, high-quality-led and long-term vision for architecture and the built environment” and to “embed a quality-based and holistic approach in all policies and activities that have an impact on the built and living environment”.

The Council rightly identifies public procurement as a key lever of action, calling for “public procurement rules, regulatory simplification and innovative procedures that foster a high-quality-based approach over a solely cost-based one”.

The Architects’ Council of Europe welcomes the Council conclusions on ‘culture, high-quality architecture and built environment as key elements of the New European Bauhaus initiative’.

Link to the conclusions

https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-14534-2021-INIT/en/pdf

Date: November 2021

Author: Council of the European Union