The European wood industry has called for a structural increase in housing supply and a greater role for timber construction in addressing the European Union\u2019s housing shortage, according to a press statement by CEI-Bois.<\/p>\n
The industry body said it had submitted its contribution to the European Commission\u2019s consultation on the forthcoming Affordable Housing Act, stressing that boosting housing supply must remain the central pillar of EU policy, alongside sustainability and industrial competitiveness.<\/p>\n
The consultation focuses on the role of public authorities in tackling housing stress, including cases where short-term rental markets contribute to supply constraints, and aims to identify both short-term safeguards and longer-term structural responses.<\/p>\n
CEI-Bois argued that insufficient housing supply is the primary driver of the current housing situation and called for a structural response based on industrialised construction methods and increased use of timber.<\/p>\n
According to the organisation, timber-based construction could support the rapid expansion of affordable and quality housing while also contributing to the EU\u2019s climate objectives.<\/p>\n
At the same time, the group highlighted the need for clearer EU guidance and more supportive regulatory frameworks to address remaining financial, regulatory and standardisation barriers.<\/p>\n
It called in particular for streamlined and more efficient permitting procedures, the harmonisation and modernisation of building codes, updated construction product standards, and the use of science-based sustainability assessment methodologies.<\/p>\n
The industry also said that renewability should be recognised as equally important as recyclability within EU circular economy policies.<\/p>\n
CEI-Bois added that it stands ready to contribute to the Commission\u2019s initiative by providing practical and scalable solutions to increase the use of wood in the delivery of affordable housing across Europe.<\/p>\n
The organisation represents 22 European and national bodies from 16 countries and covers more than 160,000 companies in the wood sector, generating an annual turnover of approximately 194 billion euros and employing around 930,000 people in the EU.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98337,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n