EU Policy Implementation

Our REBALANCE project has published our first policy brief, which identifies implementation challenges of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDD) and presents recommendations addressed at national policymakers to enhance its implementation across different national contexts. Our main recommendations are: 1. Promote Transparent and Inclusive Policymaking: Transparent and inclusive policymaking, along with clear communication of potential impacts, will be crucial in the transposition phase. 2. Adapt to Diverse National Contexts: Each EU Member State will need to implement the CSDDD differently due to varying factors, particularly their different rule of law environments. 3. Ensure On-the-Ground Monitoring and Stakeholder Inclusion: Effective enforcement will re- quire robust on-the-ground monitoring and the inclusion of relevant stakeholders. 4. Consider the State’s Broader Human Rights Obligations, Particularly Under the European Convention for Human Rights (ECHR): Although the CSDDD text does not explicitly reference the ECHR, to ensure comprehensive human rights protection, Member States should remain aware of their own human rights obligations under the ECHR during the transposition process and throu- ghout the subsequent enforcement. 5. Recognize and Monitor Voluntary Measures: Despite the mandatory nature of the CSDDD, voluntary measures remain important. The shift to mandatory regulation does not diminish the role of voluntary initiatives; instead, it amplifies their significance. The policy brief is free to download here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eJ7a3CiS Thanks to the authors Olena Uvarova, Chiara Macchi, and Nadia Bernaz as well as all the experts who gave their insights to inform our recommendations.

The #guidelines issued by the European Commission represent a powerful #tool for national administrations to make #climate #adaptation a top #political #priority. The Commission seeks to support Member States to adopt a whole-government approach to climate adaptation policy-making by way of #multilevel #coordination and #mainstreaming, both horizontally, between different departments and vertically, at all levels of sub-national authorities (including regions and local administrations). The guidelines also include a comprehensive list of key #features of #adaptation #policy, which should be applied to the overall #national #adaptation #policy framework. These key features include: - a call for legal frameworks instead of soft policies; - regularly updated adaptation strategies and plans; - climate risk assessments, based on the results of regular stress testing of infrastructure and systems; - involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including those particularly vulnerable to climate change as well as those who might be important agents of change in the planning and implementation of adaptation actions. -involvement of all relevant sectors and all levels of public administration, endowed with sufficient personnel and financial resources; - continuous monitoring and evaluation of all adaptation actions.

What the European Affordable Housing Plan delivers - still relies on actions of member states and cities. The European Affordable Housing Plan sets out the EU’s first coordinated framework to support affordable, sustainable and quality housing, while fully respecting that housing remains primarily a national, regional and local competence. The Plan recognises housing as essential social and economic infrastructure, closely linked to labour mobility, competitiveness, social cohesion and the cost-of-living challenge. Its focus is therefore on removing structural barriers that have limited housing supply and investment across Europe, rather than prescribing a single housing model. Key outcomes include: • Easier public support for affordable housing, through revised State aid (SGEI) rules that allow Member States to finance affordable housing schemes without prior notification. • Improved access to long-term finance, notably through closer cooperation with the EIB and national promotional banks, and the planned Pan-European Investment Platform to help aggregate projects and share good practice. • A stronger supply-side focus, addressing construction capacity, skills, productivity and administrative complexity, alongside measures to speed up planning and permitting. • A broader understanding of affordability, linking housing costs to energy efficiency, renovation and quality, with the aim of lowering long-term living costs. • New EU tools for housing-stressed areas, including forthcoming legislation on short-term rentals and better housing market data, to support proportionate local action. The Plan does not impose binding targets, land policy instruments or housing models at EU level. Instead, it provides an enabling framework that strengthens Member States’ and cities’ capacity to act, using EU finance, regulatory flexibilities and coordination mechanisms. Overall, the Affordable Housing Plan establishes a common European direction, improves the conditions for long-term and cost-effective housing investment, and lays the groundwork for more ambitious national and local housing reforms over time. Attention now turns to implementation, cooperation and evidence-based learning across Member States, cities and EU institutions.

Last week, the European Commission adopted its Spring Package under the European Semester. Every year, the European Semester delivers tailored economic guidance to each EU country, with in-depth reports providing detailed analysis on each Member State’s financial and economic situation. The Commission also drafts Country-Specific Recommendations, to be endorsed by the Council. Against a backdrop of geopolitical instability, this year’s recommendations emphasize the need to bolster competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and economic and social resilience, as well as cohesion.  Financial reforms – with a total of 36 recommendations to 23 Member States – also take central stage. The package urges Member States to roll out national measures that advance the Savings and Investments Union (SIU), our key initiative to unlock private funding for growth-boosting investments. The Country Specific Recommendations highlight critical areas where national action is needed. ➡Expanding institutional and retail investors’ participation in capital markets. ➡Strengthening the role of supplementary pension schemes. ➡Fostering sources of funding companies. ➡Strengthening financial literacy. Now it’s for Council to agree to the recommendations and for national governments to turn these recommendations into real progress. But the Spring Package makes clear that for the SIU to be achieved, Member States must step up by pairing EU-wide reforms with national action. Only by working together can Europe deliver on the SIU’s promise: a more competitive and resilient economy for all. Country Specific Recommendations and country reports are available now. Please check them out! https://lnkd.in/erUKavF2 https://lnkd.in/eyX-vmiM