Brussels – During a meeting in Brussels on Friday, Slovenian Minister for Solidarity Future Simon Maljevac outlined Slovenia’s proposals for a unified EU approach to housing policy to European Commissioner Dan Joergensen. He highlighted concerns regarding the restrictive EU regulations on state aid, as reported by the ministry.
Maljevac and Joergensen discussed the development of a European plan aimed at promoting affordable housing, which seeks to implement effective policies to tackle the structural causes of the housing crisis in the EU. The initiative also intends to encourage both public and private investments in affordable housing.
According to the Ministry for Solidarity Future, Maljevac made several suggestions for establishing a cohesive EU housing policy framework during their discussions. He emphasized that unclear and restrictive state aid rules present significant barriers to national housing initiatives aimed at financing affordable housing construction.
Maljevac further noted that the EU must recognize the diverse financial and regulatory contexts of member states and criticized current funding avenues through the European Investment Bank as often inadequate for smaller nations. He argued that the EU should broaden its definition of housing eligible for construction under its legislation to encompass options accessible to a wider demographic, rather than solely focusing on social housing.
Commissioner Joergensen indicated that the Commission welcomes input from member states, which will be evaluated as the action plan is formulated. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to unveil this strategy later this year during her address on the state of the EU in the European Parliament on September 12.
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