On 25 March 2025, the High-Level Construction Forum (HLCF) organised its fifth annual meeting, with 130 in-person and 105 online participants, including EU officials, Member State representatives, industry leaders, and stakeholders. 

The morning agenda comprised two parts: 1) Towards a competitive, sustainable, and productive construction ecosystem, 2) Joining forces to modernise in construction.  

The aim was to assess the construction sector’s resilience amid challenges like high inflation and persistent skills shortages. The forum emphasised the sector's pivotal role in addressing housing crises and achieving Europe's decarbonisation goals, noting its position as the EU's second-largest sector by employment and third-largest by turnover. 

Key discussions centred on simplifying legislation, standardisation, and harmonisation to enhance the single market, particularly for construction-related services. The forum highlighted the need to attract a diverse workforce, including women, to address skills gaps. Digitalisation was seen as useful to improve productivity, with a push for the widespread adoption of openBIM across the value chain. Public procurement processes were encouraged to prioritise green, innovative, and social aspects beyond just price considerations. The promotion of circular economy practices, offsite construction, and industrialisation in both new builds and renovations were also discussed. 

The afternoon sessions focused on practical solutions for speeding up building permits, improving the market for secondary construction materials, and facilitating cross-border services. 

The event featured the launch of the Construction 2050 Alliance Manifesto, outlining strategic priorities: sustainability & net-zero, circularity, competitiveness & affordability, skills & quality jobs, and digitalisation & innovation.

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