During the Plenary Session of the European Committee of the Regions, the ECR Group voted against a draft opinion that calls for an EU housing agenda and Treaty change, since housing is not an EU competence.

"The EU should do less, but better. Housing should not become an EU competence, and there should not be an EU housing agenda" highlighted Matteo Bianchi, Councillor in Varese, Italy. "We do not accept the opinion's complete disregard for the principle of subsidiarity."

Mr Bianchi also expressed displeasure over the fact that the opinion's rapporteur does not recognise the need to defend private property "from the growing problem of illegal occupations," pointing out the "legal battles many property owners have to go through in attempting to evict tenants who do not pay their rent, or criminal groups or individuals who have taken over their vacant properties."

Concluding, Mr Bianchi underlined the very diverse housing policies across the Member States and regions, which would only lead an EU housing strategy to "add more bureaucracy, increase costs, and further exacerbate citizens' discontent towards EU regulation".