3 Sept 2025
Learning from past fires and regulatory evolution to support future fire safety standards
Fire Safe Europe (FSEU) took part in the webinar “History and Evolution of National Building Fire Codes”, organised by the Fire Information Exchange Platform (FIEP) — the European Commission’s forum dedicated to the exchange of evidence, experience and lessons learned to improve building fire safety across Europe.
The session explores how national building fire codes have emerged and evolved over time, examining the major fires that triggered regulatory change, the progressive development of testing methods and enforcement practices, and the reasons why different approaches to fire safety regulation exist across countries today.
Looking back at the history of fire regulation is essential to inform current and future policy choices. Understanding how standards were built, what worked, what failed and why, helps ensure that modernisation efforts strengthen fire safety without undermining proven principles. These reflections are also highly relevant in the context of today’s challenges, including large-scale renovation, new construction methods, and the integration of innovative technologies into buildings.
Fire Safe Europe welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this important exchange and to continue supporting evidence-based fire safety policy, stronger inspection regimes and the continuous improvement of building standards at both national and European level.