New European Bauhaus shines spotlight on its progress and gears up for its next Festival in Brussels

The Festival of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) – the European Commission's initiative connecting the European Green Deal to our daily lives and living spaces – is coming back to Brussels for its second edition. On this occasion, the European Commission has published a dedicated state of play 2024, taking stock of the achievements accomplished by the initiative and summarising key facts and figures.

BRUSSELS, April 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is an initiative launched by the European Commission to translate the European Green Deal into tangible change on the ground that improves our daily lives. It brings about sustainable solutions for transforming the built environment and lifestyles for the better under the green transition, matching sustainability with good design that needs less carbon. At the same time, it makes these solutions inclusive, accessible and affordable for all, while respecting the diversity of places, traditions, and cultures that we have in Europe and beyond. 

Since its launch in 2021, the New European Bauhaus has already inspired a strong grassroots movement on the ground, with a vibrant Community of almost 1,400 members, and showcased its impact through numerous projects and investments, actively pursuing its objectives in Europe and beyond. By March 2024, close to EUR 380 million of EU funds have been committed to the New European Bauhaus.

In less than three years, New European Bauhaus projects have expanded across every EU Member State and reached countries such as Iceland, Israel, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Notably, a total of EUR 90 million has been invested in 20 lighthouse demonstrator projects, focusing on various themes including building renovation, circularity, arts, cultural heritage, education, smart cities, and urban and rural regeneration. Moreover, the annual New European Bauhaus Prizes reward exemplary projects, new concepts and ideas aligned with the NEB principles. Over the four editions of the NEB Prizes (2021-2024), almost 5,000 applications for the Prizes have been received.

The New European Bauhaus has also launched the NEB Lab and the NEB Academy. Through the dynamic NEB Lab platform, NEB Community members can come together to self-organise, propose projects, and seek partners for the implementation of bottom-up NEB initiatives. Meanwhile, the NEB Academy offers high-quality, well promoted and accessible trainings to boost skills on sustainable construction and accelerate the fair and green transformation of the building sector.

Moreover, the New European Bauhaus is active in a series of different actions to support the sustainable and inclusive reconstruction of Ukraine. Notably, in 2023, the Commission launched a series of New European Bauhaus capacity-building workshops for the reconstruction of Ukraine in partnership with Ukrainian organisations. The capacity-building introduction aimed to provide both inspiration and practical help for over 60 municipalities involved in the reconstructions and rebuilding of Ukraine along the NEB values. 

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New European Bauhaus Festival 2024

The New European Bauhaus Festival will take place from 9 to 13 April 2024, centering at the Parc du Cinquantenaire and the Art & History Museum in Brussels, with Satellite Events across the world. In addition to celebrating art, culture, and music, the Festival will feature workshops, exhibitions, and high-level discussion panels. Notable speakers, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, will take part in the Festival alongside industry leaders in art, architecture, design, sustainability, innovation. The Festival programme, as well as details about each session and speakers, can be found on the Festival webpage.

This year, the Festival will also host the 4th edition of the New European Bauhaus Prizes, where 20 projects, designs and ideas aligned with the NEB values will be rewarded with a total of €390,000. The 2024 edition of the Prizes will feature a Special Recognition to Ukraine's Reconstruction and Recovery Effort and will put the spotlight on regions across the EU facing more intensively socio-economic constrains, and places challenged the most by the need to evolve to a carbon neutral economy.