Slovenia is currently grappling with a pressing need for affordable rental housing as demand continues to outpace available supply. Thus, the Minister for Solidarity and the Future, Simon Maljevac, has unveiled an ambitious public policy plan aimed at constructing additional housing units. Dr Aleš Pustovrh, the EECFA’s Slovenian researcher,  has delved into the key components of the government's strategy, examining the challenges it faces and the potential impact on the housing landscape in Slovenia.

It has been a busy year for the European Commission’s corporate accountability initiatives, including updates to the EU Sustainable Finance portfolio. These policy changes, reflecting the Commission’s focus on improving the energy performance of the EU building stock, are consequential for EU real estate investors and developers.  New sustainability-linked financing models and Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) ratings standardisation complement the European Green Deal by directing financing to real estate construction and renovation that maximises energy performance. These programs enable EU real estate investors and builders to collaboratively reduce energy use and meet the EU Climate Law’s 2030 goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by fifty-five percent. Strategic policy and research consultant Lisa Chase has summarised the policy framework for Property Forum.

Former Czech Prime Minister and billionaire Andrej Babiš, who is now facing trial for misuse of EU subsidies, is buying residential land in Slovenia. He has bought a plot of land in the centre of Ljubljana with his investment fund Hartenberg and the Slovak developer Corwin, where up to 400 flats can be built. The transaction, worth an estimated €25 million, would make Andrej Babiš one of the major players on the Slovenian real estate market, reported the investigative server Necenzurirano.si, quoted by the Czech daily E15.cz.

The City of Prague wants to build cooperative flats where the city could continue to rent out one-third of the flats. However, the councillors disagree on the conditions under which the entire project should be implemented in Prague 5. If they agree and construction begins, the project would offer cooperatives favourable conditions for financing housing without a mortgage and cheaper prices for construction by the developer. The councillors are now trying to find a compromise to get the project off the ground, reports Seznamzprávy.cz.

The global drive to advance sustainability is creating considerable uncertainty in the investment market for real estate, according to a new report by Colliers EMEA. The report, ‘ESG: A Tipping Point’, points to an urgent need for policymakers to agree on pragmatic, actionable targets that will support the creation of clear, consistent technical standards and benchmarks enabling the reallocation of both capital and skills as investors rush to factor new ESG realities into decision-making.

The geopolitical diversity of the EMEA region means that there are multiple economic and business permutations to consider in light of a new first term for President Biden and the Democratic party. There is a strong likelihood that the EU and national EEA (European Economic Area) governments will cooperate more openly with the United States under President Biden. Outside of the EEA, in Middle East, Africa, Russia and Turkey ongoing relationships will be more mixed.

For residential developments executed in brownfield zones a VAT rate of 5% will apply instead of the normal 27%, the Minister of the Prime Minister's Office announced today.