By defining areas as subject to "severe housing pressure", local and regional authorities will be able to say no more easily to housing being used primarily for rental to tourists, rather than for living, for example via services such as Airbnb.
"The lack of affordable housing worries many of our EU citizens. People in essential professions and students cannot afford to live where they work and study," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says in a press release about Wednesday's proposal.
However, the proposal does not require countries and cities to take action. Instead, the intention is primarily to create a common legal basis within the EU.
