President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, shared the institution’s political priorities for the next term in a meeting held in Valletta with Ruth Schagemann, President of the Architects’ Council of Europe and André Pizzuto, President of the Kamra tal-Periti.
During the meeting, The EP President noted that architect professionals share a common drive to improve their processes as well as common values, and the European Parliament remains committed to accompanying them on that path.
“The exportation of EU high-quality services is key for the future of the European bloc’s economic growth and its standing in the global economy. That is why the growing internationalisation of European architectural practices is relevant in our drive for a more sustainable future,” the President said.
“I am glad that architects across Europe are at the forefront in terms of expertise in combatting the effects of climate change and hence playing an unprecedented political role.”
Ruth Schagemann, President of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE), emphasised the important role of architects in creating high-quality living environments, but to achieve this, good public procurement procedures and architectural competitions are essential, which is not currently the case in many EU Member States.
“The support of the EU Parliament for the improvement of the Public Procurement Directive is crucial. Such improvements should provide better access for small- and micro-enterprises and new entrants, favour quality and innovative approaches including architectural design competitions, and provide a new chapter for intellectual services”.
In line with the ACE’s Manifesto, titled ‘Time to act now: for high-quality architecture and living environment for all’, President Schagemann emphasised that architects have the necessary skills to drive radical transformation of our built environment to make it less energy and resource-intensive, more resilient to climate change and more inclusive.
