Conference "Breaking Barriers: Affordable Energy and Housing in Europe"

Date: 10 – 11 December 2025 

Format: 2 half-day event, with a public Conference, an internal debate, and policy inputs  

Language: English 

Please register here.

In person 

Background 

The housing crisis, energy poverty and energy inefficiency are deeply interconnected issues gaining urgency across Europe. Rising energy costs, both for energy and for housing, are exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis that many Europeans are already suffering from.  

This crisis undermines trust in governments and is negatively influencing vital sectors like the labor market or family planning. At the same time, the EU’s climate and energy transition goals require a rapid improvement in the energy efficiency of the housing stock. This dual focus highlights the complexity and importance of addressing the nexus between energy poverty, energy efficiency, and housing. 

This nexus is fundamentally socio-economic.Low-income, as well as plenty of middle-income households across Europe, often reside in energy-inefficient buildings. Poor insulation of buildings exacerbates financial strain, creating the cycle of "housing and heating entrapment." This underscores the need for policies balancing energy efficiency with social equity.Despite advancements from the Fit for 55 reforms, significant barriers remain, like high upfront renovation costs, complex ownership structures, and insufficient and often challenging financing models. Coordinated efforts are essential to break this cycle and ensure affordable and sustainable housing for all.  

Where do we currently stand on these matters? What are the EU’s best practices that can help address this nexus? How can the EU harmonise Member State efforts? How to better integrate local actors and decision makers in addressing this issue? These are key questions that will guide our debate. Members of Parliament from several EU Member States will share this debate.

Programme 

Day 1: Wednesday, 10 December 2025 

Public Conference 

Venue: TBC 

12.00 – 13.00 – Registration and lunch 

13.00 – 13.10 Welcome and Introduction by Claudia Detsch, Director of the FES Competence Centre for Climate and Social Justice 

13.15 – 14.30Policy inputprovided by National Members of Parliament  

Talk Show Format: Each MP provides a statement on the key challenges in their countries around energy efficiency and sustainable housing matters 

14.30 – 14.45 Keynote speech by Dan Jørgensen, EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing 

14.45 – 15.15 Coffee break 

15.15 – 17.00Panel discussion: “Advancing Equity: Coordinated Housing and Energy Strategies in Europe”  

At the European level, housing and energy have been brought under one portfolio within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy, pointing to a more integrated approach to tackling energy-related inequalities. This panel will explore the persisting challenges and the need for coordinated policies that balance technical solutions with social equity. 

Speakers: 

• Niels Fuglsang, MEP, S&D negotiator on the Energy Efficiency Directive -tbd 

• Ciarán Cuffe, Member Board of Directors, Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), former EP Rapporteur on EPBD -tbd 

• Nikolaos Kontinakis, Policy Officer in the Energy Efficiency Unit of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) -tbd 

• Adrian Joyce, Secretary General of Energy Efficient Buildings (EuroACE), and the Director of the Renovate Europe Campaign -tbd 

• Tuscany Bell, Policy Staff Utilities at EPSU -tbd 

Moderator: FES JustClimate 

17.00 – Closing remarks by Kristina Birke, Director of the FES Nordic Office - tbc 

17.10 – Networking reception 

• End of programme Day 1  

Day 2: Thursday, 11 December 2025 

Internal Debate 

Venue: FES EU Office, Rue du Taciturne 38, 1000 Brussels

In person 

08.30 – 09.00 – Registrations and coffee 

09.00 – 09.10 – Introduction by Max Brändle, Director of FES Poland Office  

09.15 – 11.15 Debate:“Housing as the New Social Question of the 21st Century”. Input provided by the authors of the FES-policy briefs 

The housing crisis is a European-wide issue: persistently rising rents and property prices, particularly in urban areas, are placing an increasingly heavy financial burden on an ever-growing number of people. Those most affected include individuals with low incomes, single parents, senior citizens, and households with only one person. In addition, the fight against climate change presents further significant challenges for European societies, especially in terms of renovating the existing building stock and transitioning to sustainable heating solutions. In response to the growing housing policy challenges within the European Union, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is launching a project aimed at identifying, analyzing, and promoting best practices from various member states. The FES is collaborating with experts, analysts, and practitioners to develop actionable recommendations that can be applied at both local and national levels. During the panel, selected best practices from the project will be discussed. 

Speakers: 

• Luise Noring, Expert on Housing, Denmark  

• Jan Śpiewak, Acitivst on Housing, Poland  

• Lisa Pfann, FES Berlin 

• Final comments by Irene Tinagli MEP, Chair of the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union -tbd 

Moderator: Max Brändle, Director of FES Poland Office  

11.15 – 11.30 – Coffeebreak  

11.30 – 12.30 - Policy inputprovided by National Members of Parliament  

Format: Each MP provides a statement on the key takeaways and actionable steps in their countries to continue tackling access to energy-efficient and sustainable housing infrastructure   

12.30 – Closing remarks by Claudia Detsch, Director of FES Competence Centre for Climate and Social Justice  

12.45 – networking and lunch 

• End of programme Day 2