Preparatory questions
Q1. Can you please provide an overview of the current state of the housing sector in your
Member State, including its size, sources of financing, key players and their ownership
(public or private), and key challenges? When describing the key challenges in your
country, please focus on challenges regarding affordability in the i) construction and
renovations sector, ii) sales sector and iii) rental sector, depending on relevance. If
possible, please also describe if, and to what extent the housing market in your Member
State is the object of cross-border investments and activities from undertakings
established in other Member States.
Q2. In your assessment, are there any indications or evidence suggesting the existence of
market failures within the housing sector in your Member State? For example, are there
observable patterns such as low construction rates or lack of affordable housing? If so,
please elaborate on the nature and extent of these failures.
It is important to distinguish that not all market outcomes that seem undesirable are due
to market failures. Specifically, the mere decision by undertakings/investors to avoid
investing in housing projects with low profitability or in a region with limited market
demand and/or poor cost competitiveness may not be an indication of a market failure.
However, a market failure might be at play where market forces alone are unable to
achieve an efficient outcome (e.g., due to externalities, information asymmetry, public
goods). Such market failures may be evidenced by supply-demand mismatches in the
housing sector.
Q3. In you view, is there any evidence suggesting that the housing sector in your Member
State is unable to address certain policy objectives, for instance regarding access to
adequate housing for all citizens?
Q4. How are the following concepts defined in legislation in your Member State, if at all?
a. Social housing
b. Affordable housing
c. Adequate housing
Q5. Have there been any challenges or obstacles connected to State aid legislation
encountered by your Member State in addressing issues related to [affordable] housing?
If so, what are they, and how have they impacted the sector? In your reply, please
distinguish between EU State aid rules on the one hand, and national legislation
implementing and interpreting these rules, on the other hand.
Q6. Can you recommend certain best practices, or successful initiatives implemented by your
Member State or its regions, that other Member States could potentially adopt or learn
from to improve outcomes in their housing markets?
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMPETITION
Directorate F – Transport, Post and other services
Unit F3 – State aid – Post and other services
Brussels, 29/04/2024
COMP.F.3/comp(2024)3611462
TO THE MEMBER STATES
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am pleased to invite you to attend a meeting on State aid in the field of social and
affordable housing in Brussels.
• Date: Wednesday, 26th June 2024 from 09:00 to 17:00
• Location: Centre de Conférences Albert Borschette, meeting room TBC
(Rue Froissart, 36 – 1040 Brussels)
You will find enclosed the draft agenda of the meeting, as well as a list of questions in
preparation for the meeting. I would ask you to submit your answers by 1st June 2024.
Please note that all participants to this meeting should confirm their attendance before 1st
June 2024. This procedure is mandatory for all participants in order to comply with
security rules to access the Commission’s building.
The usual Commission rules regarding the reimbursement of officials from the Member
States participating at meetings shall apply.
• The travel costs incurred by one representative per Member State will be borne by
the Commission within the limits of its regulations. Reimbursement can only be
paid into bank accounts in the name of the Member State, ministry or public
organisation to which he/she belongs and not into a private bank account.
• That representative has to fill in the electronic form and insert documents
necessary for reimbursement, as required by the financial rules applicable in the
Commission, no later than 30 calendar days after the final day of the meeting.
• Payment is only guaranteed if the representative submits the documents requested
and signs the presence sheet at the beginning of the meeting.
Do not hesitate to inform us of any particular need resulting from a disability, so that we
may take it into account when organising this meeting/conference.
Please note that the Commission is committed to protect your personal data and to respect
your privacy. The Commission collects and further processes personal data pursuant to
Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË — Tel. +32 22991111
2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data
by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such
data.
Yours faithfully,
(e-signed)
Eduardo MARTINEZ RIVERO
Head of Unit
Enclosures:
- Draft Agenda
- Questions to be replied to by 1st June 2024
Contacts:
- For administrative matters:
[email protected]
- For questions on the topic of the meeting:
[email protected]
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË — Tel. +32 22991111
29 April 2024
State aid in the field of social and affordable housing: 26 June 2024
Agenda
Location: Brussels, European Commission – Rue Froissart, 36 – 1040 Brussels
Conference Centre Albert Borschette - Room TBC
Date & time: Wednesday, 26 June 2024 from 09:00 to 17:00
Indicative
Item Title
timing
9.00-9.30 1 Welcome and registration
Introduction by H. Mørch, Director for transport, post and other services
9.30-10.00 2 DG Competition, European Commission
10.00-10.30 3 Presentation by, the Netherlands
Coffee break 10.30-10.45
Roundtable with stakeholders (Housing Europe, Build Europe, International
10.45-12.30 4
Union of Property Owners)
Lunch break 12.30-14.00
14.00-15.15 5.1 Roundtable with Member States
Coffee break 15.15-15.30
15.30-16.30 5.2 Roundtable with Member States (continued)
16.30-17.00 6 Closing remarks
Ivo Jaanisoo
Kliimaministeerium Meie 14.05.2024 nr 12.1-1/2256-1
[email protected]
Komisjoni küsimustik ja kutse
kohtumisele teemal sotsiaalne ja
taskukohane eluase
Austatud härra Jaanisoo
Euroopa Komisjoni konkurentsi peadirektoraat (edaspidi komisjon) korraldab 26. juunil
Brüsselis liikmesriikide vahelise kohtumise teemal „State aid in the field of social and
affordable housing“.
Kuna elamumajanduse valdkond kuulub Kliimaministeeriumi kompetentsi, edastame Teile
kutse kohtumisele koos päevakavaga. Koos kutsega saatis komisjon ka küsimustiku, millele
ootab vastuseid 1. juuniks. Kutse, päevakava ja küsimustik on lisas.
Palume Teil vastata hiljemalt 30. maiks küsimustikule ning teavitada meid, kas
Kliimaministeeriumil on võimalik kohtumisel osaleda ning kes osaleb.
Lugupidamisega
(allkirjastatud digitaalselt)
Tarmo Porgand
osakonnajuhataja halduspoliitika asekantsleri ülesannetes
Lisa(d):
Komisjoni küsimustik;
Kutse 26.06.2024 kohtumisele;
Päevakava
Maris Kalda 5885 1434
[email protected]
Suur-Ameerika 1 / 10122 Tallinn / 611 3558 /
[email protected] / www.rahandusministeerium.ee
registrikood 70000272