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ICSC PAC is the only federally registered political action committee that represents the interests of the shopping center industry.

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ICSC Europe

The International Council of Shopping Centres is the global trade association of the shopping centre and retail property industry with some 55,000 members in more than 90 countries. ICSC Europe has 2,000 members from across the EU and beyond, including shopping centre owners, developers, managers, investors, architects and other professionals. The principal aims of ICSC are to advance the development of the shopping centre industry, to improve research and communication on the sector and to promote professional education. Moreover, ICSC Europe is the voice of shopping centre and retail property stakeholders at the heart of the EU decision-making.

Building relationships
As the voice of the European shopping centre industry, ICSC Europe is engaged in dialogue with key EU decision-makers at all levels to raise awareness of the industry and its issues. In addition, we are working hand in hand with other stakeholders on issues such as sustainability. ICSC Europe actively participates in the EU Retail Forum on Sustainability, seeking closer cooperation with retailers on addressing environmental issues.

Shopping centres: Contribution to the economy
Retail in shopping centres is a key pillar in Europe’s retail market. Nearly ¼ of all retail sales in Europe are estimated to take place in shopping centres and these centres also make a vital contribution to retail employment, directly employing over 4 million workers across Europe. Shopping centres are also a vital platform for retailer growth, especially in new markets as well as providing positive economic benefits to society such as tax revenues, employment, regeneration, and key infrastructure. In the context of the EU work on retail markets, it is therefore vital that efforts be made to reduce barriers to establishment, to modernise planning and leasing laws and to support the competitiveness of this important sector.

Building More Sustainable Buildings: Our Commitment to Europe’s Future
ICSC members are committed to improving the environmental footprint of Europe’s retail developments. Our organisation promotes a joined up approach which brings together the developers, owners and occupiers of buildings in a common effort, based on the exchange of information and a shared responsibility for making improvements. We are in favour of an ambitious approach which focuses on a fair balance of costs and benefits between the different actors and which takes into account the economic and technical realities of today’s market. We also believe strongly that requirements must be differentiated according to the type of building under consideration, given the different energy profiles of the different asset classes.

Measuring Environmental Performance
As part of this commitment to sustainability, ICSC has been working closely with the Buildings Research Establishment to develop a certification scheme for retail building. This scheme, known as BREEAM Commercial, is now the accepted industry standard for measuring environmental performance. Whilst ICSC understands the need for tools which drive the market towards greener buildings, we strongly believe that existing schemes provide the right tools to achieve and we therefore see no need for additional EU labels.