European Council discussed housing policies

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stressed the fact that the European Council discussed housing, "a matter that had never been on the table" in the statement he gave at the end of the European Union Heads of State and Government meeting held in Brussels on 23 October.

Luís Montenegro claimed that for Portugal, "this was the outcome of an awareness-raising process we have been driving in the last few months" to address a reality that affects many Member States and although this is the responsibility of the States themselves ("and many have this problem"), they must be treated in a concerted manner across" the EU.

The Prime Minister added that when we talk about housing, "we are talking about economic competitiveness", "the essential right to housing", and "settling human resources".

"I made the Council aware of the advantage, which the Commission understands, of coordinating policies" that can help our citizens feel they "have the opportunity to access decent housing at affordable rates", he said. 

These policies also include simplifying procedures, financing, permits, so there is greater supply in the market for rental and purchase, tax policy, industrial policy, and innovation.

Luís Montenegro also noted that "exploring new building techniques is under great development" indicating greater swiftness, amount, and response to the environmental challenge. In Portugal, housing and student accommodation "built in half a year, pre-built and then finished off onsite" has been made available.

Simplification

The European Council also discussed again economic competitiveness, witnessing "once again the willingness to simplify the EU regulations". 

The Prime Minister staid that "in the days before this Council meeting, I underwrote, along with many other colleagues, a letter drafted by the German Chanceller with our collaboration to request that all the European institutions" (including the European Parliament" follow this effort to streamline their procedures "so that some necessary decisions in this simplification process aren’t stretched out in time".

Decarbonisation 

Luís Montenegro likewise noted the European commitment to the climate targets and gaols "for more economic growth", indicating that "it is highly relevant to materialise the energy union" so there is more renewable energy generation and greater interconnection.

It is necessary to follow many measures that aim to decarbonise the economy "with a focus on the most affected industries", the ones with intensive energy consumption; this is the first time that "activity sectors that are important to Portugal such as glass, ceramics, cement, paper, or paper pulp" are included in the Council conclusions".

Banking Union

During the European Council meeting, the Prime Minister insisted on the need to "make the savings and investment, the banking union, and the capital markets union happen in an agile manner" so companies have greater capacity to be financed and Europe more capacity to be financed without "wasting European capital, which finances other geographies". 

This need was also "made evident" in the meeting with the Central European Bank and the Eurogroup.

Regarding support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle, and migration policy, there was a "reaffirming of the positions we are committed to", he stated.