Brussels is preparing to intervene in countries’ approaches to Alojamento Local.
The reason is simple: the inability of governments and local authorities to properly manage the situation has led to social crisis throughout Europe. In that social crisis, populist movements are flourishing. Restore balance/ start protecting citizens – instead of leaving them ‘on the streets’ to accommodate tourism – and populists will have less leverage.
Bringing this story in its weekend edition, Expresso admits that Brussels is getting ready to move in on an area in which it has not meddled before – but only because it feels there is no alternative.
“We have to recognise that the situation is so serious that we now have social crisis in Europe”, Dan Jørgensen, the commissioner for housing told a group of Brussels’ correspondents. “If we as politicians do not take this problem seriously, do not realise that this is a social problem that requires action, then the anti-EU populists win.”
Ironically, this is an argument that former PS prime minister António Costa took to European Commissioner Ursula Von der Leyen two years ago. At the time, he ‘struck out’ (Ms Von der Leyen maintaining the issue was one to be dealt with by individual governments). But the failure of individual governments to act sufficiently has now led to these new ideas.
“Short-term rentals are one of the areas in which Jørgensen sees margin for Brussels to intervene: demands will imply “new rules” to try to respond to “the enormous problem in many towns and cities”.
Jørgensen isn’t showing his hand quite yet “but guarantees that he will present policies, including laws, for the consequences of the increase in these type of rentals, often through platforms like Booking.com or AirBnB, which are seen as a factor in the reduction of the number of homes available for long-term rental at accessible prices in Portugal”.
Expresso concedes that it is not the first time that Brussels has legislated in this area, but rules brought in in 2023 were principally to increase transparency in the field of short-term rentals, not to exert any type of overriding influence.
This time round, the focus will be much more on ‘fixing the drama’; ensuring the rights of tenants. “We are analysing all the possibilities to ensure that tenants’ rights are taken seriously,” Jørgensen told the European press pack – while elsewhere Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen will be “altering rules regarding state help, to allow governments to take more measures to support housing”.
“This is another area where there should be news very soon”, writes Expresso.
European Plan for Accessible Housing
The European Plan for Accessible Housing is scheduled to be presented before Christmas.
Jørgensen describes it as a “wide ranging plan” where objectives are also to consider the construction sector, “and the effects of financial speculation in the property market”.
All this comes as a new report by the European Commission estimates that residential property prices in Portugal are the most over-inflated in Europe.
“Brussels promises to cut down on the bureaucracy connected to authorisation for constructions,” adds Expresso – which to a large extent is an ambition already embraced by Portugal’s AD government.
Source: Expresso
