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The Architects’ Council of Europe welcomes the Commission’s € 315 billion Investment Plan as well as the recommendations made by the EU Task Force on 9 December and the list of 2,000 projects that could potentially be implemented over the next three years. This Investment Plan echoes many of the ACE priorities and is a positive signal for investors in the construction sector.

As recommended by the EU Task Force (Member States - Commission - EIB), ACE believes that priority should be given to improving the business environment and removing unnecessary regulatory and non-regulatory barriers within the Single Market to facilitate the cross border provision of services and the establishment of professionals across Europe.

ACE welcomes the willingness of the Commission to facilitate access to investment finance for SMEs, as this can give a boost to the construction sector, which is responsible for 10% of EU GDP and consists mainly of SMEs.

Moreover, the EU Commission is right to target long-term investments in energy and resource efficiency – ACE recalls that energy efficiency improvements in buildings are one of the most cost-effective way of creating jobs and growth.

In order to ensure the success of this ambitious Plan, ACE calls on the EU Commission, the EU Investment Bank and the Member States to quickly assess and select concrete and credible projects to be implemented on the ground. It is also urgent and to tackle the non-financial barriers that have so far prevented investments.