The Commission registers the European Citizens’ Initiative on the reuse of buildings

The European Commission today registered a European citizens’ initiative entitled “HouseEurope! Power to Renovation” (HouseEurope! Power to Renovation).

The aim of the initiative is to create incentives for the renovation and transformation of existing buildings. The organizers are asking the Commission to propose legislation to incentivize the reuse of existing buildings, based on the following: i) “tax reductions for renovation works and reused materials”; ii) “fair rules for assessing both the potential and risks of existing buildings”; and iii) “new values for the CO2 implicit in existing structures”.

This European citizens’ initiative meets the formal conditions set out in the relevant legislation. Therefore, the Commission considers it to be legally admissible. The Commission has not analyzed the substance of the proposals at this stage.

The decision to register an initiative is based on a legal analysis of its admissibility under the European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation. It does not prejudge the Commission’s legal and political conclusions on these initiatives and what action it would take, if any, should any of these initiatives gain the necessary support of at least one million EU citizens.

The content of the initiative expresses only the views of the group of organizers and can in no way be considered to reflect those of the Commission.

Next steps

After today’s registration, the organizers have six months to collect signatures. If a European Citizens’ Initiative obtains, within one year, at least one million statements of support from at least seven Member States, the Commission will have to decide whether or not to follow the request of the organizers of the initiative, although in both cases it will have to give reasons for its decision.

Background

The Treaty of Lisbon introduced the European citizens’ initiative as a tool in the hands of citizens to define the political agenda. It was officially launched in April 2012. Once officially registered, the European citizens’ initiative allows one million citizens from at least seven EU Member States to ask the European Commission to submit legislative proposals in areas where it has the competence to do so. The eligibility requirements are that (1) the proposed measure is not manifestly outside the scope of the Commission’s competence to submit a proposal for a legal act, (2) it is not clearly abusive, frivolous or reckless, and (3) it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union. Since the start of the European Citizens’ Initiative, the Commission has registered 119 initiatives.

More information European Commission.