21 May 2026
Fire Safe Europe and 12 European organisations call for a safe-by-design approach to Europe's Housing Simplification Agenda
On 13 May 2026, Fire Safe Europe and 12 European organisations published a joint position paper calling on the European Commission to ensure that the Housing Simplification Agenda accelerates housing delivery without compromising fire and life safety.
The paper promotes a safe-by-design approach, advocating for the integration of fire and life safety considerations from the earliest stages of planning, design and permitting, including within future digital permitting systems.
The recommendations also highlight the need to better protect vulnerable households and social housing, align housing simplification with the electrification of buildings and the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), develop harmonised EU-level fire safety data, and strengthen coordination and consistency across Member States.
By bringing together organisations representing different parts of the construction and fire safety ecosystem, the joint paper reinforces a shared message: simplifying procedures should never come at the expense of building safety. Safe housing is not a barrier to Europe's housing ambitions—it is a prerequisite for achieving them.