Media release

EU Construction Week 2015 to focus on sustainable development of the sector

Photo: EU2015.LV
29 May 2015

On 2-5 June, under the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council, the Construction Week 2015 will take place in Riga, during which the participants will discuss the implementation of the “Strategy for the sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector and its enterprises” (Construction 2020).

The construction sector is one of the most significant economic sectors in the European Union, therefore it is particularly important to consider the sustainability and safety of buildings. “The construction quality does not depend on the number of inspections, but the performance of construction workers. Quality requirements are defined not by the client`s wishes or architect's designs, but certain building standards which every construction worker needs to know and apply in practice,” stressed Mr Pēteris Druķis, the Director of the Latvian Construction State Control Bereau.

The strategy issued by the Commission in 2012 focuses on the facilitating of sustainable growth and development in the construction sector in the EU Member States. The main tasks of the strategy are to: improve the competitiveness of companies working in the construction sector; encourage building specialists to increase their qualification; address the challenges regarding energy efficiency and sustainability in Europe; and modernise the regulation for the construction environment.

The main objective of the EU Construction Week 2015 is to bring together professionals from the construction sector, scientists, representatives responsible for the planning and architecture, policy-makers and inspection organisations from the EU Member States to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and best practice in promoting sustainable construction for SMEs.

The Construction Week is organised by the Latvian Construction State Control Bureau in cooperation with the European Commission, the Latvian Ministry of Economic Affairs, “Latvian Standard” the Latvian National Standardisation Body, the Latvian Construction Contractors Association and other state institutions and non-governmental organisations operating in the construction sector.

Activities which will take place in Riga during the EU Construction Week 2015

2 June – The day for residents

At the experts discussions on “Energy Efficiently in Multi-Apartment Residential Buildings. How to Get the Society Interested and Involved?” the participants will discuss how to raise awareness on energy efficiency, the necessity to implement energy efficiency measures and their benefits, and how to improve communication between inhabitants of the residential buildings and also with building managers.

 

3 June – The day for scientists

During the visit of professionals and scientists to “Energy Efficiency Monitoring” Energy Efficiency Research Centre, the results of the national research project on "Energy efficiency, sustainability and thermal comfort of building construction in Latvian climate conditions" will be presented to the sector representatives and field researchers.

The main objective of “Construction Standards” the European Forum for Science and Industry is to discuss the role of science and research in the field of standardisation, and how standards have enabled knowledge transfer from research results to market thus supporting the competitiveness of the construction sector.

 

4 June – The day for business

SME Forum on Standardisation entitled “Benefits of Standardisation for SME in Construction” will introduce construction SMEs with the opportunities for SMEs to participate in the standardisation process, thus raising awareness of the European Standardisation System.

The 4th European Standardisation Summit will be the central activity of the EU Construction Week 2015. The discussions will focus on how standardisation can contribute to a cleaner and smarter economy in Europe, particularly in the construction sector.

More information about the summit. Live broadcast of the Summit will be available on the website EU2015.LV.

 

5 June – The day for public sector

Within the framework ofthe forum entitled “Future Perspectives for Public Authorities in Construction Control”, specialists from ministries and institutions subordinate to them will meet to share experiences about future challenges for public authorities in construction management to meet the “Construction 2020” targets and fulfil its tasks.

To conclude the EU Construction Week 2015, the Latvian Ministry of Economic Affairs in cooperation with the Latvian Sustainable Building Council and other non-governmental institutions will organise a round table discussion on the results, conclusions and future activities of the EU Construction Week 2015.

Contact
Evita Urpena
Expert in communication