ECO-TRANS-FAIRE

The region of Lorraine, the southern part of the province of Luxembourg in Belgium, and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg face a number of common housing issues:

• Existing buildings are often not environmentally friendly, because the majority was build before requirements for thermal conditions and energy efficiency were introduced.
• The current housing stock is insufficient to meet the growing demand and it is also poorly adapted to the need for more sustainable and eco-friendly housing.
• The weakest citizens are suffering most from the rising costs of energy. In the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, housing costs are also soaring, requiring residents to dedicate a growing share of their income to housing.

Inspiration

These issues highlight the importance of structuring the housing offer across the territory to meet environmental needs, particularly with regard to energy efficiency, as well as social expectations in a difficult economic climate. The Eco-Trans-Faire project was created to address this through a focus on three rural communes, one in each of the partner regions: Beckerich in Luxembourg, Tintigny in Belgium and Villers la Chèvre in France.

Innovation

Eco-Trans-Faire is an Interreg IVA cross-border project to promote eco-renovation and sustainable construction. It brings together 13 partners from the three regions with the aim of supporting the entire value chain of the industry, from supply to demand to employment. The project centers around four main actions, to be carried out between January 2012 and December 2014:

• Create a network of local economic actors to develop their skills in eco-renovation and sustainable construction
• Support the development of cross-border demand to benefit local jobs
• Model a sustainable economic sector around eco-renovation and sustainable construction
• Create a cross-border network of employment and training actors

In order to ensure cohesion in the coordination of this complex project, a European Economic Interest Grouping, Eco-Trans-Faire, was created in February 2013.

Impact

Eco-Trans-Faire will help to solidify cross-border cooperation across the three regions, supporting local eco-renovation and sustainable construction offers in order to respond to local needs regarding housing, the environment, and employment and training. It will benefit local businesses by including them in its cross-border offer as well as by providing training and involving them in the whole construction cycling. The project will also benefit individuals working in the sector by providing training and support, and facilitating the exchange of good practice on construction sites. Finally, it will support job seekers by providing them with a foothold in the sustainable building and renovation industry, by providing training, and by providing access to a cross-border job platform matching supply and demand.