Last week, in the context of the EU Green Week 2023, EBC was invited to speak at a webinar on “The Role of Electrical and Fire Safety Skills in the European Green Deal”, organised by Fire Safe Europe (FSEU) and the Forum for European Electrical Domestic Safety (FEEDS).
The event took the format of an online panel discussion, with representatives from EU institutions, stakeholders, and construction and fire safety experts discussing how to encourage the development of electrical and fire safety competencies needed for a safe energy transition in Europe.
In addition to EBC, participants included among others MEP Seán Kelly (EPP, Ireland) Shadow Rapporteur for the EPBD, Theresa Griffin – former MEP and FEEDS Chair, Paul Langfordm – President at FSEU, Stefan Moser – Head of Unit at the European Commission DG ENER, and Heikki Väänänen – Policy Officer at the European Commission DG GROW, as well as representatives from FEEDS, EuropeON or the Fire Safety Alliance.
In his intervention, EBC Policy Officer Spyros Mathioudakis gave an overview of the current state of sustainable construction policy and the necessary skills to deliver on the EU Green Deal and the Renovation Wave. A lack of skilled personnel being already present in the construction sector, it can be expected that this phenomenon will be exacerbated in the coming years, including when it comes to electrical installations and fire safety. He mentioned that EBC is advocating for skills to be considered in all relevant legislation, including Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), the Renewable Energies Directive (RED), and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), with policymakers invited to take concrete action, at the EU but also at national, regional and local level when applicable, to respond to current and anticipate future needs.
Mr. Mathioudakis also presented the Pact for Skills in construction, and whether it could be a useful tool for the fire safety sector. EBC is one of the three initiators and coordinators of the Pact for Skills in Construction, along with FIEC and EFBWW, an initiative that aims at bringing together the EU construction and vocational training stakeholders.
EBC will continue to participate in the wider EU debate on skills and advocate for a strong accompanying framework to ensure the necessary skills for a more sustainable construction sector.
To read the full Pact for Skills in Construction, click here. |