There are two current challenging topics at the European Level. The first topic focuses on age-friendly housing. Given the changing demographics of Europe society, there is an increased need for housing solutions that will support independent living of an aging population. The second topic addresses the new EU targets for greenhouse gas emissions and how countries should share binding greenhouse gas emission reductions up to 2030.
- Age-Friendly Housing
Keeping old people out of hospitals and retirement homes and in their own homes or in new apartments adapted to their needs is becoming a major European problem. The obstacles towards the development of pan-European business solutions must be identified.
Given that about 75% of current housing is not considered age-friendly, there is need to develop a European Reference Framework for Age-friendly Housing in order to stimulate a scalable European market of relevant products and services. A non-legislative framework that would define the requirements for age-friendly environments with the purposes of guiding the member states on age-friendly housing development and renovation projects, justified tax breaks or subsidies, stimulating public investment and an industry-wide strategy for smart homes, etc.
- Regulation on binding annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions
The Union has four main ways of reducing GHG emissions.
- The Emission Trading System. Does not cover buildings. Covers 45% of EU GHG emissions;
- By regulating all forms of industrial production;
- By creating energy efficiency and renewable energy requirements for different sectors including buildings;
- By setting GHG emission, renewable energy and energy saving targets.
They are a way of avoiding more detailed regulation and ensuring more freedom for member states in reaching climate goals.
In this Proposal for a Regulation, percentage reductions are as compared between 1990 and 2020:
- 20% GHG emissions reduction
- 20% share of energy supply from renewable energy
- 20% energy savings by 2030
- 40% GHG emissions reduction compared to 1990 and a 30% reduction compared to 2005 for non-ETS sectors (i.e., inter alia, for buildings)
- 27% share of supply from renewables
- 27% energy savings (to be reviewed in 2020 having in mind a 30% target)
Solid scrutiny and regulations, together with collaborative effort by all member states, to understand and learn from each other’s experiences, are the key to turning matters that currently represent a challenge into opportunities for economic and social growth for the EU as a whole.