Brussels is preparing to intervene directly in the Local Accommodation dossier, after years in which regulation was left mainly to States and local authorities. The weekly Expresso reports that the Commission wants to rebalance the sector and present proposals with a short timetable.
The warning was reinforced by Dan Jørgensen to correspondents in Brussels. The Commissioner responsible for Energy and Housing warned that, if the problem is not treated seriously and with concrete action, populist movements will gain ground in a context of tension between visitors and residents. The message, addressed to those who legislate, points to the need for “new rules” to restore predictability to local markets.
According to Expresso, the Commission understands that the response has been insufficient and that the social crisis that is going through several European cities requires measures with a real impact on the balance between tourism and housing. It is within this framework that the change of pace is being prepared: moving away from pure and hard transparency to instruments with practical effects on the ground.
Local accommodation under reinforced scrutiny
On the immediate front, short-term rentals are seen as an area where the Commission can act, responding to the “huge problem in many towns and cities”, especially where platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb are associated with reducing supply for affordable long-term rentals.
The movement does not start from scratch. In April 2024, the European Union adopted rules focused on transparency and data sharing; now, the priority increases to “resolve the drama”, with instruments that affect the availability of houses and urban planning, without losing sight of local specificities.
Tenants’ rights and scope for support
The commissioner places tenants at the center and admits “all possibilities” so that their rights are taken seriously, avoiding forced displacement and stopping the escalation of rents in areas of greatest pressure. In parallel, Ursula von der Leyen should adjust State aid rules to allow more muscular national responses without violating the competitive framework.
European Plan for Affordable Housing
The next political milestone has an indicative date: before Christmas, the Commission will present a comprehensive plan that goes beyond Local Accommodation and includes the construction sector, as well as the effects of financial speculation on real estate. The ambition is to combine process simplification, investment stimulation and social safeguards, combining short-term measures with medium-term instruments.
Portugal: prices, bureaucracy and next steps
A report estimates that residential prices in Portugal are among the most overvalued in the EU, adding urgency to the dossier. Brussels wants to simplify licenses, in line with the AD Government’s agenda, and on the ground measures such as mandatory data sharing by platforms, limits on tourist uses in saturated areas and affordable rental targets can be advanced.
The package will go to public consultation and technical fine-tuning, in conjunction with the 2024 rules and possible adjustments to State aid, to provide quick instruments for States and local authorities and greater predictability for the sector, reducing litigation and stabilizing investment in areas of greatest pressure.”
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