This Week in Construction & Housing — Brussels (#25, 2026)
New steel quota regime under Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 enters into force; Commission finalises revised EU ETS allocation benchmarks; Danish RRF plan reaches 100% completion; Council discusses housing policy and demographic trends.
June 28, 2026 to July 04, 2026
New steel quota regime under Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 enters into force; Commission finalises revised EU ETS allocation benchmarks; Danish RRF plan reaches 100% completion; Council discusses housing policy and demographic trends.
📋 In This Week's Newsletter
• 🇪🇺 European Commission
• ⚖️ EU Legislation
• 🤝 EU Council
• ✒️ EP Committee Work
European Commission
Commission finalises revised EU ETS benchmark values for free allocation, 2026-2030
On 26 June 2026, the European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1412, which sets revised benchmark values for free allocation of emission allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System for the period 2026 to 2030, pursuant to Article 10a(2) of Directive 2003/87/EC. The updated values reflect installations' reported efficiencies from 2021–2022, as well as legislative amendments in Directive (EU) 2023/959. The new benchmarks account for changes in sectoral boundaries—including for products such as hydrogen, soda ash and cement—and adjust methodology to align with recent climate legislation. Member States' data submissions and stakeholder technical consultations informed the revision process. These values will apply directly to all EU Member States as of entry into force.
Denmark: Commission approves final RRF payment, confirming plan completion
On 29 June 2026, the Commission approved Denmark’s fifth and final payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, amounting to €359 million in grants. Denmark is the first EU Member State to complete 100% of its RRF milestones, with a total of €1.63 billion disbursed, including support for energy efficiency, clean heating for over 28,000 homes, and green transition measures in agriculture and transport. President Ursula von der Leyen noted Denmark’s delivery on the clean transition and highlighted the impact on households and zero-emission vehicles. The Commission had found all 79 plan milestones and targets fulfilled, ahead of closure deadlines set for August and September 2026.
EU Legislation (Official Journal)
Steel quotas: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1457 details new country allocations
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1457, published on 30 June 2026, sets out the detailed methodology for distributing the new 18.3 million-tonne tariff quota established by Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 due to come into effect on 1 July 2026. Country allocations for 26 steel product categories are split between Most Favoured Nation (MFN) and Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners, reflecting their historical import shares and recent bilateral talks. The Regulation specifies quota management procedures, preferential treatment for FTA partners including Ukraine, and safeguards for supply diversification. The quotas are administered on a first-come, first-served basis through the Union Customs Code, effective until end-December 2026.
Repeal of legacy F-gas leakage checking rules to reduce redundancy and reflect new technology
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1444, adopted on 2 July 2026, repeals Regulations (EC) No 1497/2007 and No 1516/2007 concerning leakage checks for equipment containing fluorinated greenhouse gases. The repeal reflects the evolution of Union law under Regulation (EU) 2024/573 and the obsolescence of earlier detection methods. This measure is intended to provide legal clarity by removing outdated requirements that have been replaced by more comprehensive, harmonised leak checking rules at Union level. The repeal takes effect 20 days after publication.
EU Council
Council discusses links between demographic trends and housing policy
At the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting of 29 June 2026, ministers adopted conclusions addressing the interplay of demographic change and housing policy. Ministers also discussed housing security for students and middle-income households.
EP Committee Work
HOUS Committee ordinary meeting addresses regional housing challenges
On 29 June 2026, the European Parliament’s Committee on the Housing Crisis (HOUS) convened for an ordinary meeting in Brussels. The agenda focused on regional development aspects of housing policy and ongoing legislative initiatives related to the EU housing crisis.
