The European Builders Confederation (EBC) convened for its Board of Directors and General Assembly in Rome this week, officially launching a new mandate for 2025–2028. Key discussions focused on strengthening European social dialogue, advancing major EU policy files for construction SMEs, and preparing EBC’s 35th anniversary celebrations.
At the heart of the Assembly, Jean-Christophe Repon of CAPEB (France) was elected President of EBC, succeeding Philip van Nieuwenhuizen (AFNL, Netherlands), whose mandate from 2022 to 2025 marked a period of proactive engagement and institutional growth. Enrico Mancini, from ANAEPA-Confartigianato Edilizia (Italy), was elected Vice-President, ensuring continuity and a strong representation of national craft enterprises.
In his first statement as President, Jean-Christophe Repon said:
“It is a great honour to take on the presidency of EBC, an organisation that for 35 years has been the voice of small companies in the European construction sector in Brussels and beyond. Now more than ever, craft construction companies must be heard, as they face shared challenges across Europe: growing their business, raise the ambition of energy renovation in housing, adapt buildings for ageing populations, improving the attractiveness of our professions, and defending their specificities in social dialogue. EBC will continue to champion these issues with determination, based on concrete proposals from the ground and supported by our national professional organisations.”
The EBC Secretariat warmly thanks outgoing President Philip van Nieuwenhuizen for his strong, decisive and forward-looking leadership, which helped reinforce the confederation’s role in European policymaking.
From left to right: Enrico Mancini, Philip van Nieuwenhuizen, Jean-Christophe Repon
Elections for the Board of Directors were also held at this meeting, with a total of 20 members re-elected or elected, including the new leadership.
Over these 3 days, the discussions and debates focused on the European sectoral social dialogue, the revision of the public procurement framework, solutions to the affordable and sustainable housing challenge, the simplification of administrative processes and the effective implementation of the energy renovation legislation, both in the EBC statutory meetings and Annual conference 2025 dedicated to built heritage and historic buildings.
With renewed leadership and strategic momentum, EBC is ready to drive impactful initiatives and stand firmly for the interests of construction SMEs and craftsmen across Europe.
