SUBJECT
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CONTENT OF INTEREST FOR SOCIAL HOUSING |
SITUATION TIMETABLE
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ACTION TAKEN OR PLANNED
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Service Directive COM 2004 /0001 (COD)
Website from the Commission
Text voted by PE in second reading
Services directive in the JO was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 27th December 2006, reference L 376/36
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> Prohibited requirements for social housing providers (such as providing services only in a country, or prohibition to be part of a guarantee fund)
> Proposal in contradiction with the state aid decision requesting social housing providers to be mandated explicitly to receive State aid
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> In the EP's vote in first reading is February 2006 plenary session, exclusion of social housing
> New proposal of the Commission excluding from the scope services linked to social housing
> Final wording: "social services to social housing, childcare and support of families and persons permanently or temporary in need which are provided by the State, by providers mandated by the State or by charities recognised as such by the State" Art2.j) |
> Position paper in February 2005
> Letters to MEP at each stage of the negociations
> Meetings with Spidla, Barroso, McGreevy cabinets
> Letters for Members to send to their political leaders
> Need to look at implementation at national level (till 2009)
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VAT Revision 6th Directive COM 2003
Latest version
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> Possibility to still have Reduced VAT on Social Housing and on repair and maintenance work |
> Blocked in Council (conflict on Appendix K) for 2 years
> As been finally agreed in January 2006 (till end 2010) with an extension of the definition of social housing for Poland and Czech republic and the eligibility of central heating systems
> Evaluation (external) on labour intensive services by mid-July 2007 |
> CECODHAS common position paper on VAT available here
> From second semester 2006: meeting and lobbying on the evaluation for our sector
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State aids
Decision on local SIEG, hospitals and social housing
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> Exemption of notification of state aid to our sector
> Social housing recognized as SIEG, specificities of enterprises of social housing recognized, fair compensation and transparency needs to be applied, overcompensation can be reported to the next year |
> Adopted
> Definition, missions, public services obligation defined at national level and controlled by Member States : need to follow-up implementation at national level |
> Adopted in 2005, published in JO 27 November 2005 evaluation in 2009
> First semester 2007: CECODHAS evaluation of implementation |
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Social Services of General Interest SSIEG
Communication of the Commission
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> For the Commission social housing is a Social SIEG
> Communication to define the problems between social services provision and EU law
> Should help defining social services as they are now excluded from the service directive |
> Published on the 24 of April 2006, Present social services as services to the person, propose further consultation on their specificities to identify the need for another legal text
> Study on SSEIG in Europe to be completed by July 2007( CECODHAS observatory part of the research team )
> Second communication expected in autumn 2007
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> CECODHAS answer to the questionnaire of the Commission
> Adoption in the Parliament on the 14th of March 2007on the Ferreira report, with a request for a permanent forum on SSIEG and specific instrument on SSIG at EU level
> CECODHAS position paper on SSIEG in November 2006 |
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PPP and Concessions
Communication 17.11.2005
EC web-page on Public contracts
EC web-page on PPP
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> Need to clarify both the term ‘concessions’ and the rules applicable to their award
> Need transparency and fair competition in the selection of private partners |
> Following the public debate on the PPP Green Paper, the Commission adopted on 15 November 2005 the Communication on PPPs and Community Law on Public Procurement and Concessions
> This Communication presents policy options with a view to ensuring effective competition for PPPs without unduly limiting the flexibility needed to design innovative and often complex projects
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> The Commission will assess whether to propose a legislative initiative on concessions. However the final decision on whether or not to take such a measure, and on its concrete shape, depends on further in-depth analysis, including an Impact Assessment, which carried out in 2006
> Download here Briefing Notes on current issues on Public Contracts and Concessions (Fr)
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Standardisation
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/
standards_policy/financing/index.htm
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> Standardisation of services
> Standardisation in the area of urban design to prevent crime
> Standardisation of products
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> The Council, in its “Conclusions on European standardisation” of 21-22 December 2004, invited the Commission to elaborate an action plan to enlarge standardisation |
> CECODHAS position on the communication from the Commission on the role of European standardisation (February 2005)
> Action Plan for European standardisation, October 2005
> European Parliament opinion on financing standardisation asking for more consultation (CECODHAS amendments)
> CECODHAS liaison status to CEN on environment and construction products
> Training seminar on the 28th February 2007: to see the programme and presentations see in the March 2007 newsflash
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Mortage credit
Green paper(July 2005)
and report from expert on Integration of mortgage markets
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> Proposal to have an internal market of mortgage credit
> Needs to have rating systems for home at EU level
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> Report of the Parliament voted in Nov 2006 |
> Comments from CECODHASOpinion of Parliament |
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Basel II
Commission proposal for new capital requirements regime (Basel II) (14 July 2004)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/
entrepreneurship/financing/basel_2.htm
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> Draft directive to revise minimum capital requirements for banks in parallel with Basel II
> Requires annual valuation of commercial real estate.
> Problems of guarantee rated differently in our sector from one country to another |
> According to the new rules, banks may set up much stricter requirements for loans, including higher interest rates, in order to anticipate possible risks and losses |
> The approval of the Council and Parliament has been given in July 2005. The legislation is planned to take effect from the end of 2006 |
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White book on SIG
http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l23013b.htm
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> Description of Services of General interest, first attempted to define it |
> The Commission will review the situation of services of general interest in the European Union and the need for any horizontal measures in 2006 |
> The Commission plans to present a report of its findings beginning of 2007
> Opinion of the Parliament in September 2006 (rapkay report) CECODHAS lobbied for specific amendments on social services |
