With elections for the European Parliament happening at the end of May 2019, CECE (Committee for European Construction Equipment) has produced a manifesto featuring a list of key demands and is calling on all candidates, European parties and future MEPs to only lend their support to a majority European Commission mandate if industry is made a top-five political priority in its programme.
Launched in Brussels, "The Road to 2024 – a CECE Manifesto for the EU Legislative Term" calls for openness, reciprocity and fair competition. It also demanded the appointment of a vice president for industry within the European Commission.
Enrico Prandini, CECE president, said that one of the construction industry's biggest issues was its invisibility. Saying it was sometimes a ghost industry, overlooked, despite being an integral part of the economy and everyday life.
CECE president Enrico Prandini speaking at the launch event. Image: CECE
“Pursuing our fundamental goals of raising awareness of our industry and value chain, CECE launches a call to action for the European Elections of May 2019 to ensure that industry and manufacturing are at the heart of EU policymaking during the 2019 to 2024 legislature,” he said.
With about 1,200 companies, employing 300,000 people, CECE said that the European construction industry was key for competitiveness and growth, and that it contributes to important building projects that “provide Europeans with enjoyable places to live, work and thrive”.
CECE argues that the sector needs a solid institutional setup from within the EU to defend and champion core principles.
As well as the appointment of a vice president for industry, CECE is looking at other "concrete measures" including laying out a "new and ambitious" long-term vision to feed an EU industrial strategy, as well as the creation of a European Parliamentary intergroup of sustainable industrial competitiveness to work with the European Commission and connect relevant stakeholders from all areas of interest.
Describing the Internal Market as "an EU success story", the manifesto calls for the 2019 to 2024 legislature to adopt a proposed text for the harmonisation of EU road requirements for non-road mobile machinery such as construction equipment.
A rethink on market surveillance was also called for with CECE arguing that it was necessary to reconcile the existing discrepancy between the EU Single Market and national market surveillance responsibilities.
CECE also called for co-ordinated and harmonised implementation of low emission zones (LEZ) in urban areas, with these zones being adopted in line with EU engine emission stages legislation.
On global trade, CECE wanted the new European legislature to further the current system of multi-lateral and bi-lateral trade agreements, such as the one recently signed with Japan.
In terms of digitalisation, CECE lends its support to the EU focus on digitising industry and supports the proposal to create a proper Digital Europe Programme in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. It said that the EU must take the political lead on digital construction by prioritising the construction industry.
Also speaking at the event, CECE secretary general Riccardo Viaggi said that the Manifesto launch was just the start of long and important work ahead for CECE in the run-up to the EU elections.
The next steps in CECE's preparation for the elections would be in April at Bauma, in Munich, Germany at the world's biggest trade fair for construction equipment.
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