The 28th General Assembly Meeting of the European Council of Engineers Chambers (ECEC) was held on November 7 in the capital of Cyprus, and the host of this important gathering was the Technical Chamber of Cyprus. Representatives of all 17 member states held a meeting to discuss current challenges, exchange ideas and develop common stances toward shaping the future of engineering profession in Europe.
The Assembly Meeting was also attended by presidents of the European Council of Civil Engineers (ECCE) and the International Safety and Health Construction Coordinators Organisation (ISHCCO), which further confirmed the strong spirit of cooperation between European engineering organisations.
President of ECEC and the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers Nina Dražin Lovrec pointed out numerous accomplishments of the organisation since the last meeting held in May in Luxembourg, with special emphasis on the Luxembourg Declaration on Public Procurement. The Declaration, which gathers nearly 1.5 million engineers and architects across Europe, promotes quality, innovation and fair market competition, and its principles have already been recognised by the European Parliament resolution on revising the Public Procurement Directive.
One of the central themes of the General Assembly Meeting was digitalisation. During the session, the results of two important surveys conducted by ECEC were presented: the survey on digitalisation - “Digitalisation in Civil Construction” and the survey on applying BIM technology in engineering practice - “BIM in Construction”. The results show that digital transformation advances rapidly, whereby Croatia stands out as the pioneer of digitalisation. Its innovative approaches, ISPU platform presentation with emphasis on two modules, ePermit and eConstruction Log, and its national initiatives were presented as an example of good practice.
The Croatian model was presented by Hrvoje Đumlić, Head of Application Development Service at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets. The participants eagerly took part in the discussion that followed his presentation on digital transformation of public services in the construction sector.
Among other important themes were the revision of the Public Procurement Directive, the matter of affordable housing and the Common Training Framework (CTF).
With regard to the revision of the Public Procurement Directive, ECEC will include all member states in public consultation and call for evidence, open until January 2026. The participants agreed on a concerted approach based on the points of the Luxembourg Declaration.
Moreover, ECEC is currently developing a document concerning affordable housing, in the context of preparations of the first European Affordable Housing Plan, developed by the European Commission.
The organisation member states were also informed on novelties related to the Common Training Framework, since in 2026 the European Commission plans to launch research on CTF development possibilities for additional professions.
One of the important moments of the Assembly Meeting was the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between ECEC and ISHCCO. The document envisages closer cooperation of engineers and coordinators in promoting safety, quality and responsibility in construction, with the aim of improving practices and enhancing the resilience of buildings, infrastructure and communities.
In addition to digitalisation, the participants discussed the structure of fees for engineering services and the Design Directive - matters which are essential for the future of engineering profession.
During the event, a new visual identity and website of ECEC were also presented, which will enhance the organisation’s visibility and improve communication between chamber members across Europe.
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