Construction site in the Europacity. Berlin, 2024

DIBt Annual Report 2023/2024

Embracing change

DIBt President Gerhard Breitschaft looks back to 2023 and 2024 and outlines the course that has been set for construction during this period.

Picture of Gerhard Breitschaft, President of DIBt

Key topics

2023/2024 in retrospect

An insight into the Eurocode Conference: one of the speakers and his audience

The second generation Eurocodes

The hybrid conference "The second generation Eurocodes: what is new and why?" on 24 May 2023 brought together around 1500 construction professionals. The event was organised by DIBt with the support of the European Commission, the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), and the Initiative for Practice-Oriented Rules in Building Construction (PRB).

Family photo of the Technical Harmonisation (Construction Products) Working Group

Recast of the Construction Products Regulation

The meetings of the Working Party on Technical Harmonisation (Construction Products) took DIBt President Gerhard Breitschaft to Brussels several times in 2023. DIBt supported the federal states in reviewing and evaluating the draft regulation and was also involved in the discussions at European level.

© Martin Schyllert/Swedish Presidency of the EU Council

Delegation from the Ghana Standards Authority with DIBt President Gerhard Breitschaft

Construction safety – a global issue

The visit by the Ghana Standards Authority to DIBt in February 2023 focused on regulation and standardisation as well as testing and third-party assessment of construction products and design solutions. The visit was initiated by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). DIBt is committed to contributing to international exchange and administrative cooperation.

Mood picture: a digital construction sector. Two engineers discussing with tablets in their hands

A digital construction ecosystem

Digitalisation is a key topic for the construction industry, and also for DIBt. In 2023/2024 the Institute: (1) fully implemented the eFile for its national technical approvals, general construction technique permits and European Technical Assessments; (2) implemented the electronic seal for key DIBt decisions; (3) migrated the DIBt web server to a cloud environment; (4) went live with the PCPC customer portal; (5) implemented the basic accessibility package on its website; (6) completed milestones in the 'Digital MVV TB processes' project.

DIBt President Gerhard Breitschaft with IRCC General Secretary Judy Zakreski (International Code Council, USA) and the outgoing Chairman Neil Savery, (ICC Oceania, Australia)

Opening up a broader horizon

DIBt President Gerhard Breitschaft assumed the chairmanship of the Inter-jurisdictional Regulatory Collaboration Committee (IRCC) in November 2023. The forum brings together regulators from countries around the world. Shown in the picture: DIBt President Gerhard Breitschaft with IRCC General Secretary Judy Zakreski (International Code Council, USA) and the outgoing Chairman Neil Savery, (ICC Oceania, Australia)

Press conference related to the Conference of Construction Ministers. Seated behind the table: Minister of State Christian Bernreiter (Bavaria), Senator Karen Pein (Hamburg) and Minister Ina Scharrenberger (North Rhine-Westphalia)

Conference of Construction Ministers hosted by DIBt

In Germany, the federal states are responsible for construction regulation. The ministers and senators of the federal states regularly discuss the many issues surrounding safe and sustainable construction and housing at the Conference of Construction Ministers. The current chair is Bavaria under Minister of State Christian Bernreiter (2nd from left). He and his team took over the chair from the Baden-Württemberg team under Minister Nicole Razavi MdL on 1 January 2024. The 144th (Extraordinary) Conference of Construction Ministers took place on 26 June 2024 at DIBt. It was the fifth Conference of Construction Ministers organised by DIBt.

Group shot: trainees from the Bavarian building authorities and the DIBt PR team

The future of construction

As a central player of the German construction regulatory system, DIBt is committed to nurturing young talent, for example, by offering information sessions and seminaries for students and young engineers training for a career in the building authorities, most recently in August 2024.

PV modules fixed to the roof of an older building

Energy-efficient and sustainable construction is gaining momentum

The revised Construction Products Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 and the revised Buildings Directive (EU) 2024/1275 place particular emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability in the construction sector. For the first time, the regulations include requirements for the life cycle assessment of construction products, and, respectively, buildings. The new EU requirements have an impact on the various roles DIBt fulfils within the framework of the Construction Products Regulation as well as on the GEG registration point.

The new Chair of the DIBt Supervisory Board Gerhard Rodehack from the Bavarian Ministry for Housing, Construction and Transport sitting behind the working desk in his office.

New Chairman of the DIBt Supervisory Board

Gernot Rodehack from the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Construction and Transport took over as Chairman of the DIBt Supervisory Board in November 2024. "Shaping the future of construction means taking responsibility. This is why I, this is why the state of Bavaria, takes on a leading role in the DIBt Supervisory Board."

His deputy will be lawyer Diane Jägers, head of the construction department at the Lower Saxony State Ministry. We would like to thank Mr Rodehack and Ms Jägers for accepting this responsibility and look forward to working together constructively.

Family photo with the Ukrainian delegation and DIBt reperesentatives in front of the yellow wall with the DIBt logo

Technical harmonisation in construction

Ukraine is currently in the process of aligning its building regulations with EU law. In November 2024, DIBt hosted a Ukrainian delegation on a visit to Germany as part of an administrative partnership between the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy. Adding their specific expertise to the partnership are the German National Metrology Institute (PTB) and the German Accreditation Body (DAkkS).

About DIBt

DIBt is a service provider for the federal states, the Federation and the construction industry, a point of contact for questions related to safe construction, and part of an international network of experts.

 

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