European Parliament Adopts Report Highlighting Dramatic Shortage of 10 Million Homes Across the Union

The European Parliament has approved a comprehensive report on the deepening housing crisis in member states. The document indicates that to meet the current needs of citizens, the European Union must build at least 10 million new homes. MEPs have proposed introducing a "simplification package" that would limit the formalities related to obtaining building permits to a maximum of 60 days. One of the key demands is also the introduction of a super-reduced rate of VAT for the construction and renovation of social housing and homes intended for first-time buyers. The European housing crisis has been growing since the great financial crisis of 2008, when the number of new developer investments plummeted, which, combined with increasing urbanization, has led to the current supply shortage.The situation in Spain casts a shadow over the entire region, as the country accounts for nearly 10 percent of the EU-wide housing deficit. Data from the Spanish market is alarming: in Cantabria, prices rose by 14.4 percent, and in the Canary Islands by 12 percent, meaning they have surpassed peaks from the time of the property bubble. The European Parliament has called on national governments to provide greater protection for tenants against abuses, but at the same time has taken a hard line on the phenomenon of property occupation. The new guidelines are intended to force member states to tighten regulations and accelerate eviction procedures against those unlawfully occupying others' property. „La falta de vivienda asequible se ha convertido en el nuevo problema social de Europa, que requiere la movilización de fondos de la UE y un recorte radical de la burocracia.” (The lack of affordable housing has become Europe's new social problem, requiring the mobilization of EU funds and a radical cut in bureaucracy.) — European Parliament ReportAt the same time, Christine Lagarde announced that she intends to complete her term as head of the ECB. Addressing concerns about economic development, she reassured markets by stating that Europe is not falling behind in the technological race concerning artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, the authorities in Barcelona have decided on a drastic step in tourism policy, doubling the climate fee for visitors, which is intended to help finance local housing programs in a city that has become one of the most expensive in the entire Union.

Perspektywy mediów: Liberal media place greater emphasis on protecting tenants from abuses and the need for state-funded social housing. Conservative media stress the necessity of fighting illegal property occupation and deregulation and tax cuts for developers.