The 30th General Assembly and professional conference of the European Council of Engineers Chambers (ECEC) was held in Dubrovnik on 6 and 7 November, hosted by the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers. Over the course of the two-day event, representatives of engineers’ chambers from across Europe discussed key challenges and future directions for the engineering profession and the construction sector, with particular emphasis on public procurement, digitalisation and innovation, and affordable housing.
Dubrovnik holds a special place in the history of ECEC. It was here, at the 3rd European Engineering Forum in 2002, that the decision was taken to establish the European Council of Engineers Chambers. ECEC was formally founded the following year in Vienna, with the signing of its founding documents. The return to Dubrovnik for the 30th General Assembly therefore carried particular symbolic significance for the organisation.
The working programme opened with the General Assembly, where reports were presented on ECEC’s activities in its key areas of engagement. Particular attention was given to public procurement and to the representation of the engineering profession within the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), on which ECEC and Croatian Chamber President Nina Dražin Lovrec reported.
Klaus Thürriedl and Juan Blanco Lino presented the latest developments relating to the Common Training Framework (CTF), professional recognition, housing policy and participation in the E4E Skills Council. Kristinka Chulak presented ECEC’s support for the anotHERVIEWture Award, while members also discussed further activities aimed at strengthening the visibility of the engineering profession at European level. As part of the formal proceedings, Filip Pachla presented the financial report, after which the budget and membership fees for 2027 were adopted.
Housing, digitalisation and artificial intelligence
The professional conference programme focused on current technological, regulatory and societal challenges in the construction sector. Roberto Orvieto presented an approach to affordable housing based on Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), while Nina Dražin Lovrec reported on the work of the EESC CCMI Innovation Working Group.
Representatives of the Croatian Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets presented the new model and latest developments within the Physical Planning Information System (ISPU). Martina Pavlović Cerinski of the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers presented guidelines for the application of the BIM approach during the construction phase, while Jeanette Mireille Muñoz Abela, President-Elect of the European Council of Civil Engineers (ECCE), presented the AIDE-ECCE document on the application of artificial intelligence in civil engineering.
ECEC and ECCE renew their Cooperation Agreement
A particularly important part of the General Assembly was the signing of a renewed Cooperation Agreement between ECEC and the European Council of Civil Engineers (ECCE), signed by Nina Dražin Lovrec and Platonas Stylianou.
Through the renewed agreement, the two organisations will continue their cooperation in strengthening the role and influence of the engineering profession in Europe, representing common interests before the European institutions, and promoting high professional and ethical standards. Particular emphasis will be placed on the sustainability of the built environment, the exchange of knowledge and experience, and joint professional activities.
Public procurement at the heart of the second day
The second day of the conference was devoted entirely to public procurement and to European initiatives expected to shape the future regulatory framework.
Maja Kuhar, President of the State Commission for Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures, presented the latest developments in public procurement at EU level, while Martin Böhme addressed the preparation of the EESC opinion on the new European public procurement framework. Elizabeth Gossart, Vice-President of the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE), delivered a presentation on the architects’ perspective.
Nina Dražin Lovrec presented the latest activities and feedback on Public Procurement Act of ECEC and the signatories of the Luxembourg Declaration, while Matej Mihić presented an analysis of historical public procurement data. Roberto Orvieto addressed the position and remuneration of engineers in public procurement procedures in Italy, while Pierre Hurt presented mechanisms for preventing abnormally low tenders through the application of the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) criteria.
The event was formally brought to a close with concluding remarks by ECEC President Nina Dražin Lovrec, followed by a social programme for participants and a guided tour of Dubrovnik’s cultural heritage.