A.C.C.E.S. final conference calls for stronger actions on SGIs and essential services

Today, on the occasion of the UN Day of Public Services and Services of General Interest, SGI Europe concluded the final conference of the Accessible Climate-Conscious Essential Services (A.C.C.E.S.) project at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. The event gathered key stakeholders from across Europe - including MEP Idoia Mendia (ES, S&D), Mario Nava (Director General at DG EMPL, European Commission), as well as EESC representatives Mira-Maria Danisman and Sophia Reisecker - to call for an ambitious new EU Action Plan that places essential services at the heart of Europe’s social and climate agendas.

“Services of general interest are not just infrastructure, but pillars of resilience, cohesion, and inclusion, and must be recognised as strategic assets in the EU’s future” – Pascal Bolo, President of SGI Europe

This message was reiterated by Roxana Mînzatu, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness who reiterated the fundamental role of services of general interest that "make Europe a strong place to live, protect us in tough times and make us better prepared for what comes our ways".

Over the past two years, the A.C.C.E.S. project has mapped vulnerabilities and assessed systemic gaps in essential service provision across Europe. The project identified critical investment shortfalls, implementation bottlenecks, and coordination barriers between sectors, and provided practical policy pathways to better align climate, social, and infrastructure objectives.

On the occasion, SGI Europe reiterated its call for a new Action Plan on Services of General Interest to be integrated into the upcoming new action plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights. A key message echoed during the conference was the need to reunite services—such as housing, water, and energy—that have been separated in policy terms, in order to reflect their interdependence and enable more effective, integrated policymaking.

The event featured high level speakers including MEP Idoia Mendia (ES, S&D), EESC representatives Mira-Maria Danisman and rapporteur Sophia Reisecker, who joined a political panel on the future of the EPSR. The conference concluded with a call to deepen collaboration between EU policymakers and local service providers, ensuring no one is left behind in the green and social transitions.