EU endorsement to regulate tourist apartments: "They are a big problem"

BarcelonaThe Barcelona City Council received European backing this Monday for its intention to act against tourist apartments. In a press conference alongside the mayor, Jaume Collboni, the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jorgensen, stated that "there is no doubt" that short-term rentals have become a "major problem" in many European cities, not just in large capitals. He also explained that he is visiting the Catalan capital to "learn" about what is being done in housing matters.

Although he did not take a stance on the specific decision to ban them throughout the city, the commissioner emphasized that projects like Airbnb had initially been a "good idea" but that over time "the magnitude" of this type of offering had become a problem. "We need to do something about it," admitted Jorgensen, who remarked that in many cities tourist apartments have contributed to the housing crisis, have driven residents out of their homes, and have generated overtourism.

Faced with this scenario, Jorgensen explained that his visit is part of the preparatory work for a proposal for a European directive on housing. "I am here to learn," he repeated on several occasions, and ruled out giving details about the direction of the proposal that the EU will eventually put on the table. He did, however, acknowledge that the formula of "tensioned zones" applied in Spain is a good way to address the housing crisis. "We are not applying rules to all citizens, but only where we have problems," he applauded.

More room for cities

Collboni has celebrated what he said were "very important words" from Jorgensen. "He recognizes the problem that the existence of tourist flats poses in a strained market like Barcelona's," he remarked. The mayor defended, however, that the EU should not directly ask for a ban on tourist flats, because "the fact that this is Barcelona's response does not mean it is the response of all EU cities." "What we are asking is for cities to be able to make the decisions that best suit their criteria," he remarked.

In this regard, Collboni highlighted that more and more municipalities in the metropolitan area are following Barcelona's lead and announcing their intention to ban tourist flats in their municipalities. Although he could not yet provide details about the proposal he will put on the table, Jorgensen did advance that it will have "the aim of giving cities more tools to tackle the housing problem" and not of restricting this margin.

However, the commissioner's proposal still has a difficult path ahead. Firstly, because before presenting it, he must reach an agreement with the college of commissioners, where there is a conservative majority –Jorgensen is a socialist–; then it would have to receive the support of the European Parliament, and, finally, that of the Council of the EU, where the different states – who have the most weight in the legislative process – will still be able to reject or reform the initiative.

Collboni, who during this mandate has led Mayors for Housing – an initiative by several European mayors to ask Europe for more involvement in the housing crisis – has also called for more resources from Jorgensen. As he has done on several occasions in Brussels – where he will return next week – the mayor has called for the EU to allocate European funds so that cities can continue to pursue housing policies, and for these funds to be received in an "agile" manner.