New Framework Proposal for Housing Accessibility from the European Commission

According to the news of Reuters agency, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the following assessment in her written statement:

"A year ago I promised to solve the housing accessibility problem in Europe. Today we are taking a step in this direction. We are providing greater clarity and support to local governments and communities, based on local realities."

The proposal, which must receive the approval of EU member states and the European Parliament in the coming months to become law, draws the first common European framework for the evaluation of housing measures.

The Commission stated that local governments can identify areas experiencing housing bottlenecks by examining the high price-income ratio or the upward trend in the last 10 years.

Restrictions on short-term rentals must be evidence-based, mandatory, limited to affected areas and not retroactive.

CCIA Europe, the lobby group that includes companies such as Airbnb, argued that the proposal did not meet the need for independent auditing of restrictions or an effective compensation mechanism.

"Europe cannot solve the housing crisis by providing cities with an EU framework that gives them the power to restrict short-term rentals and then letting them monitor compliance with those rules," Alexandre Roure, head of policy at CCIA Europe, told Reuters.

Roure added that unless an independent audit or remedy is provided, this regulation will remain on paper, leaving disproportionate restrictions in place and undermining the legal certainty that the Accessible Housing Act aims to bring.

The proposal, which leaves the final power to take action to the initiative of local administrations, also includes a recommendation to the authorities to develop new lands for residential purposes and to modernize the planning and construction processes.