An Informal Ministerial meeting on housing and urban development was held in Gijón on 14 November. Deputy Director General of DG REGIO, Mr. Normunds Popens, represented the European Commission.
- 22 November 2023
At the first session of two sessions, EU ministers addressed the importance of access to affordable housing, with a special focus on:
- the most vulnerable groups – the elderly, the disabled and young people
- the challenges facing rural areas
Access to affordable housing is a challenge for EU countries, affected as they are by rising prices and the need for more social housing, particularly in urban areas and areas of high demand.
Ministers discussed how urban and housing development policies can tackle supply challenges. They agreed that it is also critical to consider the needs of people living in small towns, villages, and rural areas, who require specific strategies and policies. In most member states, the housing stock needs to adapt to major challenges such as:
- an aging population
- a decrease in the size of the household
The ministers agreed on the Gijon Declaration titled "Affordable, Inclusive, Quality Housing for All," which is considered a significant step towards creating more inclusive, sustainable, and healthy living environments. But the real measure of success will be in the tangible actions that follow, transforming the landscape of housing in the EU.
The meeting provided the opportunity to address common challenges by sharing success stories, strategies and measures, such as increasing the stock of accessible, quality, sustainable and energy-efficient public social housing as an essential premise. The Spanish Minister shared with her European counterparts the experience of the Affordable Rental Housing Plan, which aims to bring 184,000 affordable rental homes onto the market.
The second session focused on urban development in the European Union, with an emphasis on the Urban Agenda for the EU and policies linked to sustainability and the principles of the New European Bauhaus, a commitment to quality architecture to improve the lives of citizens. The Spanish presidency of the Council stressed the importance of multilevel governance and integrated approach to urban development for ensuring successful national urban policy.
Ministers agreed on new topics to become part of the work of the Urban Agenda for the EU. These new topics are to go through an Ex Ante Assessment in 2024, as the first step towards being launched as possible new Partnerships of the Urban Agenda for the EU. They are:
- Water sensitive cities
- Housing decarbonisation
The Spanish presidency of the Council also proposed a review of cross-cutting issues to be considered as part of the Urban Agenda for the EU developments; they related to concepts and issues of common interest, deriving notably from the New Leipzig Charter, such as:
- inclusion
- accessibility
- equality
- balanced territorial development