Members of the European Parliament, together with the Gypsum industry, launched today in Brussels the EP Gypsum Forum, with the objective of strengthening the movement towards sustainable construction and renovation in Europe, a sector that provides 15 million SME jobs.

The Forum has begun preparing their first high-level event scheduled for 13 November 2012 in the European Parliament’s premises around the topic of “Sustainable construction and renovation is the route to a low carbon economy”. This debate aims to influence the upcoming European Commission Communications on competitiveness of the construction sector and communication on sustainable buildings – these are crucial to stimulate job creation and to reduce pollution and emissions.

MEP Anja Weisgerber (EPP, Germany), member of the EP Environment Committee is chairing this initiative. Conscious of the strategic importance of this sector for the economic and social well-being of people in Europe, the aim is to propitiate a constructive dialogue among all the stakeholders involved, at every step of the market and supply-chain of the building and renovation sector in Europe (from extraction of the materials for construction products up until their recycling).  She said “we need to create a long term vision and develop innovative solutions for the sustainable use of resources, encourage sustainable building design and identify ways to increase recycling in construction. At the same time we should not lose sight of consumers’ requirements for safety, health and comfort”.

This multi-faceted approach attracted the MEPs co-chairing the EP Gypsum Forum, champions of different angles of sustainable development in Europe: Claude Turmes (Green, Luxembourg), Jean-Paul Gauzès (EPP, France) and Julie Girling (ECR, United Kingdom). They will lend their support to streamline the dialogue on sustainable construction policy in areas they consider of the highest importance including energy efficiency in buildings, indoor air quality, public procurement and public investment in infrastructure, as well as biodiversity and land-use planning.

The secretariat of the Forum is supported by Eurogypsum, the European Plaster and Plasterboard Manufacturers association. The president of Eurogypsum, Dr. Maurizio Casalini, sees the importance of the EP Gypsum Forum in order to get a forward looking vision: “to go from products to systems, from environmental products to environmental systems, and from extraction to recycling and re-naturation”.

Gypsum is present at all stages of the construction process, from extraction to manufacture of products and their recovery and recycling. An intelligent product and widely used in homes and offices across the world.

Contact:

MEP Anja Weisgerber at +32 2 284 7337 or anja@weisgerber.com

Secretary General, Christine Marlet, Eurogypsum, at +32 496 234 644