Brussels – The European Parliament’s plan to tackle the housing crisis risks loosening rules for property developers and speculators, at the expense of housing standards and nature, Greenpeace has warned.
While MEPs voted today to dedicate funding to affordable housing and make some steps to curb short-term letting that blights Europe’s housing supply, they also rejected proposals to enshrine housing as a human right and left the door open to gutting the rules ensuring homes are high-quality and built without destroying the local environment.
The Parliament voted to support the European Commission’s upcoming law to accelerate permitting procedures for construction, due to be published in 2027, which Greenpeace is warning could tear up protections for nature and the building performance standards that tackle rising energy bills.
Greenpeace EU political campaigner Ariadna Rodrigo said: “Everyone should have an affordable home where they feel safe and comfortable, but European politicians risk siding with the companies profiting from the housing crisis instead of the people suffering from it. Cutting corners when it comes to building standards and pollution might increase sales figures, but will leave people in inadequate housing that is expensive to heat and cool. The EU must assert housing as a right for people in Europe, and work to tackle the problems of dereliction and predatory landlords and speculators, not just paper over the cracks with the promise of big-ticket developments.”
Energy affordability
Greenpeace is also calling for the rollout of insulation and renewable energy heating systems in homes, to help households move away from fossil-fuel powered heating systems. The residential sector uses about 40% of the fossil gas burned in the EU.
Energy bills account for around a fifth of people’s housing costs in the EU, while transport costs people on average half as much as housing. The energy efficiency, how easy a home is to heat or cool, as well as if affordable transport options are available, contribute significantly to how much it costs to live somewhere.
Next steps
The European Commission published its plan to address the affordability of housing on 16 December 2025. This will be followed by two new laws scheduled for the end of 2026 and at some stage in 2027, aiming to deregulate the construction industry in order to increase housing supply. These new laws will be proposed by the Commission, and then be debated and amended by the European Parliament and national governments before they reach a final compromise.
Contacts:
Ariadna Rodrigo, Greenpeace EU political campaigner: +32 (0)479 99 69 22, [email protected]
Greenpeace EU press desk: +32 (0)2 274 1911, [email protected]
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Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. We do not accept donations from governments, the EU, businesses or political parties. Greenpeace has over three million supporters, and 26 independent national and regional organisations with offices in more than 55 countries.
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