European Parliament resolution of 14 September 2022 on the new European Bauhaus (2021/2255(INI))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 4 on quality education, Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and Goal 13 on climate action,
– having regard to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of 4 April 2022 entitled ‘Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change’,
– having regard to the agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015 (the Paris Agreement),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 15 September 2021 entitled ‘New European Bauhaus: Beautiful, Sustainable, Together’ (COM(2021)0573),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 10 June 2016 entitled ‘A New Skills Agenda for Europe – Working together to strengthen human capital, employability and competitiveness’ (COM(2016)0381),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 22 May 2018 entitled ‘A New European Agenda for Culture’ (COM(2018)0267),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 14 October 2020 entitled ‘A Renovation Wave for Europe – greening our buildings, creating jobs, improving lives’ (COM(2020)0662),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 30 June 2021 entitled ‘A long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas – Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040’ (COM(2021)0345),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 14 July 2021 entitled ‘Fit for 55: delivering the EU’s 2030 Climate Target on the way to climate neutrality’ (COM(2021)0550),
– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 March 2022 entitled ‘REPowerEU: Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy’ (COM(2022)0108),
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 30 November 2021 on culture, high-quality architecture and built environment as key elements of the New European Bauhaus initiative(1),
– having regard to the Council conclusions of 15 November 2018 on the Work Plan for Culture (2019-2022)(2),
– having regard to its resolution of 20 October 2021 on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU(3),
– having regard to its resolution of 8 March 2022 on the role of culture, education, media and sport in the fight against racism(4),
– having regard to its resolution of 17 September 2020 on the cultural recovery of Europe(5),
– having regard to its resolution of 17 September 2020 on maximising the energy efficiency potential of the EU building stock(6),
– having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2020 on the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change(7),
– having regard to its resolution of 20 January 2021 on achieving an effective policy legacy for the European Year of Cultural Heritage(8),
– having regard to its resolution of 11 November 2021 on the European Education Area: a shared holistic approach(9),
– having regard to its resolution of 25 March 2021 on cohesion policy and regional environment strategies in the fight against climate change(10),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, and laying down its rules for participation and dissemination(11) (the Horizon Europe Regulation),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/783 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE)(12),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund(13),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing a programme for the internal market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics (Single Market Programme)(14),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/694 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing the Digital Europe Programme(15),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/817 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing Erasmus+: the Union Programme for education and training, youth and sport(16),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing the Creative Europe Programme (2021 to 2027)(17),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/888 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing the European Solidarity Corps Programme(18),
– having regard to the ‘New Leipzig Charter – The transformative power of cities for the common good’ adopted at the informal ministerial meeting on urban matters on 30 November 2020,
– having regard to the report by the Open Method of Coordination Working Group of Member States’ Experts of 6 October 2021 entitled ‘Towards a Shared Culture of Architecture: investing in a high-quality living environment for everyone’,
– having regard to the Davos Declaration adopted by the Conference of Ministers of Culture on 22 January 2018 entitled ‘Towards a high-quality Baukultur for Europe’, and to the Davos Baukultur Quality System ‘Eight criteria for a high-quality Baukultur’ developed thereafter,
– having regard to the ‘Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission of the Government of the United Kingdom’s final report of 30 January 2020 entitled ‘Living with Beauty’,
– having regard to Article 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
– having regard to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, in particular Article 17 on the right to property, Article 18 on the right to asylum, Article 19 on protection in the event of removal, expulsion or extradition, Article 26 on the integration of persons with disabilities, Article 34 on social security and social assistance, Article 36 on access to services of general economic interest and Article 37 on environmental protection,
– having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights, in particular Chapter III on social protection and inclusion, Principle 19 on housing and assistance for the homeless and Principle 20 on access to essential services,
– having regard to the work carried out on the New European Bauhaus (NEB) by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre,
– having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Regional Development, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,
– having regard to the joint report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Culture and Education (A9-0213/2022),
A. whereas Europe finds itself in a moment of ecological, digital and social transition, which is being accelerated by the economic and social impact of COVID-19; whereas Europe’s geopolitical situation is changing as a result of the Russian aggression against Ukraine; whereas populism, extremism and anti-European sentiment are on the rise;
B. whereas the EU has been responding to the challenges of environmental degradation, climate change and the increasing scarcity of natural resources, which require far-reaching and ambitious political action to implement the European Green Deal, which is driving the quest for renewal and innovation within planetary boundaries; whereas, as the ‘soul’ of the European Green Deal, the NEB aims to address Europe’s spatial and environmental needs in a transdisciplinary, sustainable, inclusive and aesthetic way;
C. whereas the transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050 represents a great opportunity as well as a challenge for the Union, its Member States and businesses from every sector; whereas the NEB needs to reinterpret the original Bauhaus in the light of the climate crisis, war, the pandemic and natural disasters, which are increasing social inequalities;
D. whereas culture and the freedom of the arts contribute significantly to the vibrancy of a society, enabling us to live better together, to build democratic, inclusive and free societies and to regain a sense of shared identity and belonging; whereas everyone should have the right to access and participate in culture; whereas culture is also essential to the exploration of the complex challenges of society and cultural venues are essential places for freedom of expression and debate;
E. whereas culture is a strategic sector for the EU which helps to bolster its economy through its significant contribution to GDP and employment, and its indirect contribution to other sectors and industries; whereas the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) have been one of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic, are recovering more slowly than the rest of the EU economy and therefore should be further promoted and supported; whereas the NEB can enable further investment in the sector and engage different actors in its implementation on the ground;
F. whereas architecture, urban and territorial planning, mobility, design, the arts, sociology and engineering are complementary and instrumental for building an inclusive, sustainable and beautiful society; whereas these sectors, which play a key role in promoting research and innovation for sustainable development, a sustainable building culture and innovative, space-efficient solutions in line with our green and digital transition, have been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis;
G. whereas there is an urgent need to develop more sustainable economic models in the construction and energy sectors, which both enable the circular economy and will help combat energy poverty and achieve the Union’s climate goals;
H. whereas buildings are responsible for 40 % of the EU’s energy consumption and 36 % of its greenhouse gas emissions from energy(19);
I. whereas the Renovation Wave strategy aims to double the rate of building renovation in Europe, aiming at the renovation of more than 35 million buildings and the creation of up to 160 000 jobs in the construction sector;
J. whereas access to housing is a fundamental right; whereas homelessness and the lack of access to quality, affordable housing constitute a crisis in parts of the EU;
K. whereas cities are places of pluralism, creativity and solidarity; whereas poor planning and design in the public realm and the growth of urban sprawl have resulted in the loss of building quality across Europe; whereas the NEB has the potential to explore opportunities to utilise the limited space in cities in a sustainable, aesthetic and inclusive way, to better connect urban and rural areas, and to ensure the participation of inhabitants in spatial planning and help them reclaim the city as a space created for interaction and cultural activities;
L. whereas building a better future starts with quality education and training, including environmental education, vocational training and lifelong learning, inter alia through online learning opportunities that should be accessible to everyone, as well as upskilling and reskilling; whereas access to quality education is a fundamental right; whereas education and culture are vital for personal development and play a crucial role in the democratic and civic participation of citizens; whereas a high-quality built environment requires training skilled professionals, craftspeople and cultural workers; whereas achieving the Union’s strategic autonomy depends on its ability to excel in education, research and innovation;
M. whereas cultural heritage, which reflects the values of a community, is increasingly impacted by climate change and environmental degradation and faced with other challenges such as underinvestment, bad planning and poorly managed tourist flows; whereas the NEB can contribute to preserving, restoring, adapting and protecting it for the future; whereas professionals in the building sector must contribute to the common good by respecting cultural heritage;
N. whereas NEB projects require both a supportive regulatory framework, complying with sectoral EU legislation and sustainable public procurement practices;
O. whereas Russia’s war actions are deliberately targeting public infrastructure, housing stock, cultural heritage and other civilian infrastructure in Ukraine;
Main objectives
1. Recalls that the historic Bauhaus movement created a paradigm shift in design, architecture and the arts, with important legacies such as the optimisation of the form-function relationship, with the goal of democratising culture, which delivered radical rethinking and innovation and reflected true cultural and social changes in a progressive artistic and educational context in the aftermath of the First World War, while delivering real life benefits to people; notes that, in the same way, the New European Bauhaus can positively impact our daily lives by creating real changes on the ground and contributing to a just transition;
2. Welcomes the NEB initiative, which aspires to create a pan-European cultural movement that will contribute to a smarter, more sustainable, inclusive and enjoyable living environment and foster local and global knowledge; emphasises that it must primarily focus on improving the quality of people’s lives by creating healthy and affordable living spaces, rethinking the status quo and transforming the spaces, buildings, cities and territories in which they live, including in less developed, suburban, rural, remote or cross-border areas and regions, in line with the Urban Agenda for the EU and building on the successful work carried out by URBACT, while improving coexistence and public space for social and territorial cohesion and democratic life, addressing the spatial segregation and historical exclusion of social groups and protecting the environment during the planning and construction of buildings and surrounding spaces;
3. Recognises the NEB as a creative and inter- and transdisciplinary initiative which brings together architecture, design, the arts and science at the forefront of EU policies for the first time, while aiming to contribute to other Union programmes and initiatives, including its digital and green transitions, making the European Green Deal a tangible, positive and inclusive experience for all and giving it a creative and cultural dimension, thereby launching the next wave of innovation; underlines that the NEB also needs to protect citizens against natural and climate-related disasters by including a safety component in its objectives; notes that this will stimulate new ways of building and the use of innovative, high-quality, sustainable and resilient building materials, including post-disaster restoration;
4. Reaffirms that the NEB has the potential to reshape the way policies are conceived, including by engaging with communities, to nurture policies and legislative developments which have an impact on the built environment and the well-being of the workforce, and to define the environment of the future by meeting the need for spaces that are accessible and adapted to new and changing ways of life, such as spaces for non-traditional household configurations, multigenerational housing, flexible co-working spaces, child-friendly urban environments and safer spaces for women and vulnerable people; insists that the NEB must display a level of ambition in line with the Union’s climate commitments and create guidelines for the Member States, including local and regional authorities, for its implementation;
5. Emphasises that, in order to be successful, the NEB must be accessible, transparent, affordable, socially and geographically fair and inclusive and must actively involve EU citizens, community-based organisations and local residents, ensuring social and territorial diversity and supporting all scales of projects, in a bottom-up way – from project design to roll-out and evaluation – while taking active steps to prevent any elitist approaches or adverse effects of gentrification and enhancing citizens’ consultations and participation; highlights the need to engage young people in the initiative, especially young architects, artists and workers in the CCSI;
6. Highlights the importance of ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities or reduced mobility, special needs and disadvantaged groups, by making public services, cultural, social and economic life accessible to all; highlights in this regard the importance of good design; insists that resources must also target excluded, marginalised and disadvantaged communities;
7. Considers that this innovative cultural movement has the potential to position Europe as a global frontrunner in the area of sustainable architecture, territorial and spatial planning, design, culture, sustainable mobility and logistics, technology, the circular economy, energy efficiency and renewable energies by promoting ways of living, working and engaging in recreational activities better together, which can also be applied beyond the EU; believes that social and technological innovation must be adequately supported, including through public and private investment in research and development;
8. Calls on the Commission to further broaden the reach of the NEB by involving associated and partner countries outside the EU to take part in the initiative, including by means of a permanent dialogue on the NEB; acknowledges that the NEB has the potential to contribute to the post-war restoration of cities, societies and the economy, in particular in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine and with the involvement of the Ukrainian CCSI and its professionals;
Funding and governance
9. Stresses that during the first years of its existence, the NEB has not been able to reach all EU countries and interested parties within them; urges the Commission and the Member States to raise awareness about this initiative and to improve the coordination between all levels of governance, which should have timely and equitable access to information, opportunities and funding; encourages the Commission to hold regular meetings with the Member States and partner countries, and to set up focal points in the Member States to facilitate the implementation of the NEB and access to funding; highlights the importance of adequate resources at EU and national level to support NEB implementation on the ground and tailored funding models and procedures, and to minimise the administrative burden;
10. Encourages the Member States to implement the NEB in their national policies; underlines that the NEB can help address the significant disparities between Member States in terms of their ability to achieve NEB objectives, thereby contributing to a level playing field; encourages all public authorities, including Union institutions, to incorporate NEB principles into the management of their own built environment and public procurement procedures;
11. Calls on the Commission to create an integrated, non-discriminatory, transparent, accountable and territorially structured model of governance for the NEB, including public involvement and ownership, through appropriate territorial planning and based on an overarching governance framework;
12. Requests that the Commission provide timely information on how to participate in the NEB, including through technical assistance for interested stakeholders and best practices and that it clarify the general criteria for the selection and evaluation of NEB projects and initiatives and for the allocation of funds, in particular:
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supporting the implementation of key policies (e.g. the Green Deal, environmental, industrial, social and cultural policies),
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following the NEB guiding principles of sustainability, inclusiveness and aesthetics, and taking inspiration from the Davos Baukultur Quality System,
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creating new jobs with quality working conditions and business opportunities, which add economic value and improve European competitiveness, in line with sustainable finance principles, with a particular focus on streamlining procedures to apply for the NEB label and EU funding, and on enhancing the viability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and contributing to the circularity and sustainability of the European economy,
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promoting accessibility by applying specific project criteria, as well as affordability, inclusiveness, gender mainstreaming, diversity, pluralism, safety and the development of civil social capital,
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promoting the participation and connection of all stakeholders, including local and regional governments, civil society and community-led organisations, interested individuals, professionals and their representative organisations,
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involving the CCSI, including cultural creators,
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ensuring alignment of the NEB with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, following the indicators of the 2030 Agenda, the Union’s commitment under the Paris Agreement, the EU’s climate, environmental, biodiversity and energy policies, the European Pillar of Social Rights and core European values;
13. Calls on the Commission to make the principles of the NEB an integral part of all relevant future legislation, while at the same time highlighting the need to synchronise the NEB with existing Union legislation, programmes and initiatives, and ensuring that the existing regulatory framework, such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive, supports NEB ambitions and implementation;
14. Calls, in addition, for specific criteria to be developed for the relevant sectors, in particular construction and architecture, energy, mobility, design, technology, tourism, education and skills, crafts, culture and the arts, and cultural heritage, in close cooperation with stakeholders in these sectors, taking into account sector-specific certifications and standards, and for actions to promote synergies between these sectors; recalls that it is crucial to take into account geographical balance in order to allow the NEB to spread equally around the EU and beyond; emphasises, furthermore, that projects do not have to be cross-national to be awarded the NEB label;
15. Regrets the lack of clarity on funding for the NEB from 2023 onwards; calls for the Horizon Europe Regulation to be amended during the mid-term revision of the current multiannual financial framework (MFF) in order to create an NEB mission funded with EUR 500 million; underlines that the programme should also be supported by other relevant programmes in order to generate additional impact and that existing Union programmes can help achieve NEB objectives; calls on the Commission to ensure that the NEB complements other EU policies, including cohesion policy, and to include support for the NEB in partnership agreements and programmes, supported by the EU’s structural and cohesion policies;
16. Calls on the Commission to table a proposal as soon as possible to make the NEB a new stand-alone EU programme by the next MFF, whereby concrete ideas and objectives should be accompanied by adequate funding; acknowledges the efforts made by the Commission to launch the first calls for projects by taking money from existing programmes, but considers that their impact is not proportionate to the level of ambition of the project; insists that this will require fresh resources with a dedicated and stable budget line; underlines that this new programme must neither reduce funding for other underfunded programmes, in particular Creative Europe, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, notwithstanding the links and synergies it may create with them, nor divert focus from their agreed political priorities; underlines that NEB resources should notably be dedicated to research and innovation;
17. Calls on the Commission to develop a clear plan for attracting public and ethical private investment, including crowdfunding, with a focus on promoting female leadership in venture capital and start-ups; encourages the Member States, subject to their fiscal scope, to allocate adequate funding in line with NEB principles through their recovery and resilience plans and the European structural and investment funds to projects in line with NEB principles and objectives, in order to stimulate sustainable development and covering partnerships involving public and private entities; notes that this will create tangible results on the ground; underlines that the NEB should also contribute to the creation of spaces and buildings that facilitate entrepreneurship;
18. Expresses the need to go beyond the phases of co-design, delivery and dissemination, ensuring that creative thinking continues throughout all phases; calls on the Commission to set up a transparent and evidence-based monitoring and evaluation mechanism that includes all relevant stakeholders, which should continuously review all NEB activities at EU and national level, including their societal and climate impact, their impact on the development of regions and their actual value creation over time, and report regularly to Parliament and the Council; expects to receive the first monitoring report in 2022;
Development and focus areas
19. Believes that the NEB movement should promote more sustainable, socially inclusive and innovative ways of living based on new, holistic models of planning, constructing and inhabiting our built environment, with the meaningful involvement of residents in decision-making processes, in order to suit emerging needs and shifting consumption and mobility patterns, and to help to ensure decent, quality and affordable housing for all, in particular for vulnerable groups, including by combating housing exclusion and homelessness;
20. Considers the NEB an opportunity to envision a well-designed green regeneration of public spaces with the aim of achieving decarbonisation objectives, to retrofit and repurpose obsolete buildings, to transform old industrial areas into new green urban and public spaces, and to build the relevant infrastructure to facilitate physical activity, knowledge and cultural exchanges;
21. Calls for the NEB to promote 15-minute cities in order to make all essential services and amenities accessible to citizens within walking distance and to provide innovative solutions for the development of sustainable urban areas, including sustainable mobility solutions; highlights that the NEB needs to showcase affordable, socially inclusive and energy efficient buildings, and contribute to a modal shift towards public and collective transport and less polluting means of transport;
22. Stresses the importance of transforming, upgrading and retrofitting the existing building stock, including poorly planned and constructed buildings erected by totalitarian regimes, of applying nature-based solutions such as wood and of reducing waste and increasing durability, re-usability and circularity in the built environment; insists that this should include favouring renovation and adaptive re-use over demolition and new builds, as appropriate, removing barriers related to the handling and transport of waste as well as raising people’s awareness about embodied and stored carbon in materials to enable them to make informed choices;
23. Underlines that the NEB should also support initiatives for the construction and renovation of affordable, high-quality and energy-efficient social housing;
24. Calls on the Member States to draw up innovative educational curricula in line with NEB principles and objectives for cultural education and the development of spatial, creative, orientation and drawing skills, and to integrate key NEB principles and green and digital skills within informal, non-formal and higher education, vocational training and lifelong learning, including by up- and reskilling relevant professionals, which will also help to deliver the European Skills Agenda; stresses the importance of raising awareness through education about respecting the environment and cultural heritage, in consultation with the Education for Climate Coalition; calls for the EU to promote such endeavours; calls on the Commission to make mobility opportunities an integral part of the NEB, especially for vocational education and training and university students from related disciplines and skilled professionals within the CCSI;
25. Urges the Member States and the Commission to integrate all aspects of the knowledge triangle – innovation, research and education – by promoting partnerships between higher education institutes, including through the European University Alliances, research organisations, including architectural and cultural research centres, and industry, including relevant micro enterprises and SMEs, social enterprises and start-ups, in close cooperation with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the Joint Research Centre; believes that the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Community on the CCSI should put its expertise at the disposal of NEB objectives, especially in Member States and regions where innovation capacity is moderate;
26. Highlights that the NEB could support energy security and efficiency by encouraging investment and incentivising low-energy, zero-emission and low-carbon materials and solutions, including through cooperative and community-owned models for renewable energy production and projects utilising waste heat and integrated energy systems;
27. Points to the pressing issue of rising energy prices and the resulting increase in energy poverty among EU households; underlines that NEB projects have a pivotal role in fighting energy poverty and protecting vulnerable households through innovative solutions for the building, construction, industrial and materials sectors, considering this a precondition for achieving a just and fair energy transition;
28. Underlines that the NEB could facilitate the digital transition by improving connectivity to mitigate the digital divide, achieve more efficient, inclusive, accessible and eco-sustainable solutions, and enhance the use of local resources and skills;
29. Recognises the NEB as a catalyst for bringing about transformative changes in the creative, construction and business ecosystems and a new understanding and quality in planning, designing and building, including by applying digital technologies throughout the whole building life cycle, building capacity for creating innovative models and digital technologies for urban planning by, among other things, fostering cross-border cooperation in data exchange and encompassing the principles of circularity and resource efficiency in moving towards carbon neutrality;
30. Calls for the NEB to create incentives to encourage the use of sustainable and durable technologies and materials, promoting smart energy and environmental solutions and innovation in materials, processes, automation and techniques in a renewable, recyclable and cost-efficient manner that lowers greenhouse emissions, such as prefabricated elements with sustainable materials, photovoltaic or charging infrastructure, bio- and geo-sourced materials, and locally tested building techniques; in this context, stresses the importance of facilitating the supplies necessary for the production of such construction materials, including raw materials, while guaranteeing a level playing field by avoiding market distortion;
31. Acknowledges that the cultural aspect of the NEB is critical to its social and democratic dimension; at the same time, calls on the Commission to define and develop a NEB evidence-based design methodology to ensure that the processes of transforming spaces, buildings, cities and territories are based on scientific research to achieve the best possible outcomes;
32. Welcomes the innovative, integrated approach advocated by the NEB through the efficient use of space, the preservation, restoration, valorisation, promotion and re-use of historical, cultural and natural heritage; calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the NEB as an opportunity to better protect Europe’s rich cultural heritage from the impact of environmental degradation, poorly managed tourism and other challenges; underlines that through smart renovation, including energy efficiency improvements, transformation and adaptive re-use, cultural and heritage sites can find new and extended uses; acknowledges digitalisation as a means of valorising cultural heritage;
Implementation
33. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to connect the NEB to the Renovation Wave, taking advantage of the innovative solutions that the project offers in the comprehensive, holistic, quality and cost-optimal renovation of our building stock; underlines that this should be based on a careful building life cycle analysis and mindful of the site-specific context, including local aesthetic and architectural characteristics, going beyond energy efficiency to include improvements of quality of the indoor environment, renewable energy, durability, accessibility, safety and the eradication of harmful substances; urges the Commission and the Member States to take action to rapidly upscale the rate of renovation, inter alia by avoiding additional barriers that hamper renovation;
34. Believes that the environmental and social impacts of all NEB projects should be assessed throughout their life cycle;
35. Calls on the Commission to further integrate Level(s), the newly established framework for sustainable buildings, to improve sustainability within the sector; underlines the need to optimise the framework to make it more accessible for professionals in the building sector; insists that the framework be updated continuously to include new findings and conclusions from NEB projects;
36. Supports the creation of an NEB label, in partnership with relevant stakeholders, based on clear criteria applied in a comprehensive, holistic and inclusive way, assessing the sustainability-related, economic, environmental and social value of a project and promoting synergies with existing labels and tools, in order to recognise projects and products for achieving key NEB goals and help them get access to funding; calls on the Commission to ensure that EU funding schemes create incentives to apply for the label, including for citizen and community-led projects; calls for market uptake of the label to be explored; underlines that NEB projects in the building sector should be based on a careful building life cycle analysis and life cycle cost analysis;
37. Invites the Commission and the Member States to encourage the direct involvement of local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of projects, including by developing detailed application guidelines and building their capacity to implement the NEB; urges regional and local authorities to investigate how local cultural institutions can benefit from implementing NEB principles, in particular for mitigating their climate footprint;
38. Emphasises, in this regard, that the preparatory action on the ‘New European Bauhaus Knowledge Management Platform’ in the 2022 budget can help streamline guidance and share information on funding opportunities for prospective applicants and can be further expanded from 2023;
39. Emphasises the importance of more flexibility for local and regional authorities to experiment with NEB projects and underlines the potential of allowing regulatory ‘sandboxing’ to boost innovation within the circular economy and the NEB;
40. Believes that the NEB should be part of a broader Cultural Deal for Europe; highlights that the NEB should embrace and promote the untapped potential of the CCSI, including cultural creators, as drivers of sustainable economic growth and a source for innovative, high-quality services and products, by guaranteeing the involvement of the CCSI, supported by targeted guidelines and opening up new opportunities for collaboration, mutual learning, capacity building and cultural exchange, while ensuring fair working conditions and the fair remuneration of those involved; emphasises that the environmental sustainability of cultural events linked to the NEB should be promoted;
41. Calls on the Commission to allow Parliament to be more closely involved in the relevant NEB bodies such as the high-level roundtable;
42. Calls for the future NEB Lab to contribute to research and innovation within the focus areas of the NEB; highlights the need for the NEB Lab to make innovative recommendations, to collaborate with other institutions, national, regional and local governments, and stakeholders, including civil society and community groups, and to establish clear and transparent operating and reporting rules in line with the initiative; urges the Commission to speed up the roll-out of the Lab and provide it with adequate resources;
43. Welcomes the creation of the NEB Festival and the annual NEB Awards, which should reflect the rich cultural diversity of the Union and seek synergies with other relevant European awards and events; highlights the importance of organising NEB events across Europe in order to reach more people and raise awareness about the initiative, including through specific events, festivals and the creation of a European Year of the NEB;
44. Calls on the Commission to plan the destinations of the yearly NEB festivals taking into account the European cities chosen by UNESCO as ‘World Capitals of Architecture’; suggests that the NEB festival be held in these EU cities selected as World Capitals of Architecture in order to improve the promotion of European architecture and innovation;
45. Calls on the Commission to create and regularly update a public, digital and easily accessible database of NEB projects and actions so as to make the results of the initiative more visible, to further develop the NEB based on best practices, including within the cultural sector, and to strengthen knowledge sharing, research and development;
46. Calls for the communication, outreach and visibility efforts of the NEB to be enhanced, while respecting multilingualism, in order to boost people’s knowledge of, support for and participation in the initiative, in particular through participatory public outreach activities, including through social media and digital publications, such as awareness-raising campaigns, a platform providing information, best practices of NEB projects from all Member States and educational content, including a module on the NEB, the creation of tools and spaces that facilitate peer learning, the exchange of ideas and knowledge, and surveys to assess the impact of NEB projects;
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47. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.