ACE Policy Positions

The European Union plays a growing role in many areas affecting the built environment and the daily practice of the architectural profession: recognition of professional qualifications, establishment and provision of services in another Member States, public procurement, insurance, trade agreements, energy performance of buildings, etc. Moreover, a coherent and progressive regulatory framework at EU level is necessary to accelerate and consolidate the recovery of the sector, severely impacted by the 2008 economic crisis, and ensure safety and quality in the built environment. 

In pursuit of its mission and objectives, the Architects’ Council of Europe develops policy positions to contribute to the EU decision-making process: responds to Commission’s public consultations, reacts to legislative proposals and non-legislative initiatives, proposes amendments to European Parliament reports, but also issues guidelines and recommendations to Member Organsations to support the transposition of the EU legislation into national law.

This page gathers all ACE policy positions adopted by the ACE General Assembly. They support the achievement of ACE's strategic priorities, namely:  

1) Advancing the highest professional standards – to safeguard the public interest; 

2) Optimising professional mobility – to stimulate jobs and growth; 

3) Promoting responsible architecture to improve quality of life.

List of policies in alphabetical order

A

Report of the Accreditation and Validation Work Group, which was set up to establish the processes by which Member States decide whether a qualification should be notified to the Commission the European Commission for listing in Annex V.7 of Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications (the PQD).

B

Towards a high-quality Baukultur for Europe - Signed on 22 January 2018 in Davos (Switzerland).
 

ECAP VIENNA 2018

Future shapers (12/06/19)

Getting the measure of Baukultur (4-5/11/19)

C

The ACE considers that CPD is a very important issue and intends to promote, at European level, the most efficient approaches to this subject. It recalls that it is an objective of the ACE Charter on CPD to ensure the introduction of a CPD System by all of its Member Organisations by 2010. This should permit all architects to undertake an annual and systematic course of CPD.  

The intention of this document is to summarise the main approaches, to present a series of conclusions and to give a platform for external discussions on the following matters: -systems providing information to customers/clients on costs of the services provided by architects, advertising, group practice, registration and intellectual property. 

ACE commentary on the Strategy for the Sustainable Competitiveness of the Construction Sector and its Enterprises  

 The paper provides advice to Member Organisations about development of active Consumer Policies.  

Statement  of  the  Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) at the World  Circular  Economy  Forum,  4-­5  June 2019, Helsinki

D

This Reference Document was approved by the General assembly of ACE (GA1/16) on 22nd April 2016. It updates the ACE European Deontological Code originally adopted by the General Assembly of the ACE on the 19 November 2005. Its contents are not binding on the Member Organisations of the ACE but it is a Reference Document for consultation in the event that a Member Organisation is reviewing or writing a Deontological code for its own use. 

On 25 October 2019, in Paris, the Architects' Council of Europe (ACE) and the International Union of Architects (UIA) presented a Declaration on ' Architectural Design Competitions: A key tool to ensure quality in the built environment' on the occasion of the International Conference on Architectural Design Competitions held at UNESCO Headquarters.

E

The action strategy proposed in this paper is directly related to the approach taken through the publication of the ACE's policy paper ‘Architecture and the Quality of Life’.

ACE policy recommendations to close the gap between the expected and achieved energy performance of buildings (‘performance gap’).

F

The purpose of this position is to communicate arguments and possible strategies within the profession concerning the use of fee scale in design practice. 

H

Joint Declaration signed by ACE, the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC), the European Federation of Building and Wood Workers (EFBWW), the European Builders’ Confederation (EBC), the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA), the European Council of Civil Engineers (ECCE) and the Ministry for Social Affairs and Employment of the Netherlands 

On Friday 23 November, the Architects' Council of Europe (ACE) organised in Leeuwarden, the 2018 European Capital of Culture, a conference on the Adaptive Re-Use and Transition of the Built Heritage. On this occasion, a Declaration supported by the European Federation of Fortified Sites (EFFORTS), the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH), Europa Nostra, and Future for Religious Heritage (FRH) was presented.

I

ACE has decided that it would be wise for the profession to agree on a format by which the various types of information that are  required of individual architects can be recorded. The following table is the result of ACE deliberations on these matters, and it believes that the format proposed will be flexible enough to accommodate different national practices whilst, at the same time, meeting the various levels of legal obligation that is to be imposed by new and upcoming legislation.

Taking into account the Staff Working Paper published by the European Commission in October 2013, the aim of this Policy Paper is to provide a brief commentary on issues that arise in relation to professional liability and indemnity insurance for architects in the EU. 

Through this Declaration, ACE, ARCASIA and AUA call on the UIA Council and the Vision & Strategy Council to continue to work on concrete proposals to strengthen and include the existing regional architectural organisations in an effective mutual cooperation. They commit to further develop mutual multi- and bilateral cooperation between themselves.

L

Since buildings are a long-term investment, it is crucial to calculate their value in aspect of their impact over a long-term period. It is important to understand the life cycle performance of buildings and the integrated and comprehensive, investment evaluation approach.

M

N

P

Joint Statement by ACE, Council of European Dentists (CED), European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN), European Midwives Association (EMA), Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU), Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME). 

Declaration signed by the Presidents of ACE, the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Chamber of Engineers in the Investment Design and the Bulgarian Construction Chamber.

Q

ACE Member Organisations have adopted a Quality Charter on the Provision of Architectural Services to Society as an outward sign of the profound commitment of the profession to ensuring that it lives up to the expectations of society by assuring that the services it provides to its clients are quality based and that the construction outcome makes a positive contribution to the quality of live of the citizens of Europe. 

On 4 May 2019, in Innsbruck (Austria), the Architects' Council of Europe (ACE) presented a Statement on Achieving Quality in the Built Environment, on the occasion of its Conference on the theme "How to Achieve Quality in the Built Environment: Quality assurance tools and systems".

R

S

This Guide is intended for use by the ACE Member Organisations in their efforts to lobby their national governments during the transposition period of this important directive. It sets out information, advice and guidance on the various aspects of the SIM Directive that affect the architectural profession.

The European Commission has issued a public consultation as part of the “Start- up” initiative to seek direct feedback from all relevant stakeholders, including entrepreneurs and start-up communities, with the aim of improving the environment for start-ups in Europe.

Declaration adopted on the occasion of the UIA World Congress in Durban recognising the architects' central role in planning and designing the built environment, and the need to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050 and provide equal access to shelter.

U

Designed Policies

(Click on the cover to download the document) 

         

           

 
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