Today, the Commission presented its plans for the future of the New European Bauhaus (NEB). Adopted as part of the European Affordable Housing Plan, the Communication “New European Bauhaus: From vision to implementation” and its accompanying proposal for a Council Recommendation set out the key actions to scale up the initiative and strengthen its role as a driver of the clean transition and innovation in Europe and beyond.
Scaling-up NEB and driving forward the clean transition and neighbourhoods
Building on its first five years of achievements, the NEB will take on a stronger role in supporting the clean transition and innovation in Europe and beyond. It will expand its support for businesses, innovators and communities, helping to drive an inclusive, sustainable and quality-focused transformation of neighbourhoods and industries.
Europe is facing a period of significant change. Communities are dealing with pressures linked to housing affordability and quality, the impacts of climate change on daily life, and the rapid evolution of new technologies. These create uncertainty, and people need spaces that support a sense of belonging, quality of life and the feeling of security.
The NEB responds to these challenges. To strengthen its role as a driver of the clean transition and innovation, the Communication on the New European Bauhaus focuses on three main objectives:
- enhancing circularity, sustainability and innovation in the built environment by supporting the circular economy and bioeconomy, promoting research, scaling up innovative solutions and reinforcing community resilience to natural disasters;
- empowering citizens through participatory processes to strengthen democratic, inclusive and resilient neighbourhoods;
- and harnessing the transformative power of education, arts and culture to boost creativity and innovation for local transformation.
Flagship actions to translate objectives in results
The NEB will provide tools and guidance to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the built environment and make better use of under- and unoccupied spaces. It will also develop a digital catalogue on blueprints for affordable and resilient housing and fund the creation of NEB demonstrators showcasing low-carbon, circular, and bio-based solutions.
The NEB Academy will serve as the main structure for experimentation, reskilling and upskilling of the construction sector, and business development offering sandboxes and supporting start-ups to develop innovative solutions aligned with NEB values.
The NEB Community will expand across sectors and groups, and grassroots participation will be reinforced to support the replication and scaling of proven solutions, with a particular focus on affordable housing. Flagship activities, such as the NEB Festival, the NEB Prizes, and dedicated NEB Labs, will continue to bring communities together and showcase innovative approaches.
To help increase community resilience, the NEB will provide tools and guidance on crisis prevention, post-disaster recovery, climate adaptation, including through a pilot project with cities to test innovative approaches to urban resilience.
To better recognise and evaluate NEB projects, the NEB will introduce a NEB Label to reward exemplary work and develop guidance and indicators to measure the impact of community-led initiatives.
Funding and governance will be strengthened to make resources more accessible and ensure better coordination across policy areas and governance levels. A NEB Advisory Hub will improve access to funding for smaller players, while a new NEB Investment Accelerator will attract and facilitate private, public and blended finance.
Finally, the NEB will continue to inspire and support NEB initiatives beyond the EU, contributing notably to Ukraine’s green recovery and reconstruction, but also by establishing NEB Academy Hubs in non-EU countries and through the first international strand of the NEB Prizes.
Next steps
The next key step is mobilising relevant actors and networks across governance levels, policy areas, and economic sectors to unlock the full potential of the NEB. Stakeholders are invited to join the NEB Community to co-create and scale up innovative solutions supporting neighbourhood regeneration and the clean transition.
The Commission invites the Council to discuss and adopt the proposed Council Recommendation, to strengthen cross-sectoral efforts and ensure the NEB is operational and integrated into national, regional, and local initiatives and funding.
Background
Launched by President von der Leyen in 2020, the NEB aims to co-create buildings, public spaces, and neighbourhoods that are beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive and bring people together, in a spirit of community. Under the current EU budget, EUR 1.4 billion from nine EU programmes have been allocated to support the NEB, while the NEB Facility 2025-2027 provides a solid financial foundation to support NEB research and revitalise neighbourhoods through participatory design and co-creation.
NEB empowers people, communities and businesses to jointly find innovative solutions for a positive future, which combines inclusion, sustainability and quality of life. It focuses on creating tangible change on the ground for people and businesses, acting through an innovative, transformative and bottom-up approach. In five years, it has become a movement, with over 700 projects across Europe and beyond, a vibrant NEB Community of nearly 2000 organisations.
Useful links
Communication on the New European Bauhaus
Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the New European Bauhaus
Details
- Publication date
- 16 December 2025
- Author
- Joint Research Centre