The New European Bauhaus an important catalyst of the European Green Deal

THE Commission presents the first progress report for the New European Bauhaus (NEB), which takes stock of what has been achieved in the first two years of the initiative and presents the first NEB project evaluation tool: the NEB Compass. The New European Bauhaus has created a broad community of organizations and citizens from across Europe, working with a shared vision that combines sustainability, inclusion and aesthetic excellence. NEB’s core activities—including the NEB Awards, the first NEB Festival, and the NEB Workshop—have achieved their goals and created a bottom-up transnational network. Thanks to over €100 million of European funding already allocated, small and large-scale NEB projects are now underway across Europe. The Commission will increase funding by making available an additional €106 million from special Horizon Europe funds for the period 2023-24.

A NEB movement

The initiative has grown into a movement with an active and expanding community from all EU member states and beyond.

With over 600 official partner organisations, ranging from EU-wide networks to local initiatives, the NEB reaches out to millions of citizens. The initiative brings together people from different backgrounds — from art and design, cultural and creative industries, heritage institutions to educators, scientists and innovators, businesses, local and regional authorities and citizens’ initiatives.

From the beginning, NEB has encouraged and inspired local, regional and national agencies to create their own NEB initiatives. To offer transparent access to information about the special calls for proposals, the beneficiaries and the members of the New European Bauhaus community, the Commission created the NEB panel a comprehensive database in the form of an interactive map.

The NEB community is also active in Ukraine. The action includes providing evidence for both emergency housing solutions and long-term reconstruction planning. The NEB workshop is implementing three pilot projects (housing emergency, circularity and capacity building), while an inventory of the needs of Ukrainian municipalities and their stakeholders (e.g. architects, urban planners, students and construction companies) was compiled for reconstruction in the short term and long-term horizon. In the first quarter of 2023, a series of capacity building tools will be made available for Ukrainians, NEB partners and international reconstruction experts, based on the results of the pilot projects.

Significant EU investment is beginning to bear fruit

With targeted funding from various EU programmes, the NEB has started to bring about real change in practice. In 2022, the first six NEB demonstration projects — large-scale local transformation projects that can be completely transferred elsewhere — funded under the Horizon Europe program were selected and started operating. In 2023, the next 10 demonstration projects will follow in the framework of the European Cohesion Policy innovative actions. Along with smaller-scale projects across Europe, over €100 million has been invested in NEB projects supported by various MFF programs in 2021-2022.

All Member States have included references to the New European Bauhaus in their Cohesion Policy Programs for 2021-27, paving the way for NEB-inspired projects to receive Cohesion funding.

New NEB Compass to Guide Project Development and Evaluation

Today, the Commission is also introducing the NEB Compass, an assessment tool that helps understand the extent to which a particular project adopts the NEB approach. It explains what the NEB’s three values ​​of sustainability, inclusion and aesthetic integrity mean in specific contexts; how they can be integrated and combined with the working principles of participation and interdisciplinarity. Based on this compass, more detailed assessment tools will be developed, starting with the built environment.

Future course

The Commission will also continue to work to integrate the NEB into EU programmes, including under shared management under cohesion policy, and to increase funding for the initiative. More than €106 million will be allocated in 2023 and 2024 to special calls for proposals for the NEB under the mission and cooperative formations of the Horizon Europe programme.

As part of the European Year of Skills, the 2023 edition of the NEB Awards will have a thematic focus on education and expand the geographical coverage to the Western Balkans, beyond the EU Member States. This year, the NEB will also establish the NEB Academy and training programs on sustainable construction, circularity and bio-based materials will be launched, with the aim of accelerating the transformation of the sector.

Ongoing projects, such as the NEB workshop, will continue to integrate NEB into all policies. NEB also considers that one of its important tasks is to increase its presence in countries and regions, including in rural areas, where NEB’s activity is so far limited.

Thanks to the Erasmus+ New European Bauhaus Discover EU routes, young Europeans will soon have the opportunity to discover the amazing landscapes and cities of Europe while learning about the projects of the New European Bauhaus.

Lena Flitzani

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