10 February 2023
On 8 February 2023, SGI Europe’s Energy Task Force held its in-person meeting of the year. In the context of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden, and hosted by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) with the support of Sobona. Following the meeting, members visited the Stockholm Exergy Bio Energy Plant (Värtaverket). The visit also included a tour of the BECCS pilot plant, a carbon emissions capture and storage facility. It allowed members to see how a bioenergy plant and district heating system is functioning in the middle of the capital city of Sweden.
The meeting was introduced by remarks by Tomas Björck, President of SGI Europe Sweden, and Per Nordenstam, CEO of Sobona. As the first meeting following the re-appointment of the chairs and vice-chairs of SGI Europe’s boards and task forces, Elmar Thyen, chair, welcomed for the first time the newly appointed vice-chairs: Eleonora Capaccioli (Utilitalia) and Kristian Dahl Larsen (Samfunnsbedriftene). Discussions ensued on the current revision of the Electricity Market Design and the state of play on the outstanding files of the Fit-for-55 package.
The task force also welcomed guest speaker Josefin Mardi, EU Coordinator at the Energy Unit within the Swedish Ministry for Climate and Enterprises. She presented the energy priorities for the Swedish presidency of the Council of the EU, including the EU answer to the energy crisis and the trilogues on the Fit-for-55 package (such as the Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive).
The next meeting of the Energy Task Force will take place on 3 May 2023 in Brussels.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On 7 February 2023, the European Commission organised a dedicated event on the future of social protection and the welfare state in the EU. Following a keynote introduction by Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, 300 participants – including policymakers, social partners, key stakeholders and high-level experts – discussed the findings presented in the report of the High-Level group on the future of social protection, which is available online.
The High-Level group on the future of social protection and the welfare state in the EU was constituted in 2021 by the European Commission, as announced in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. In its final report, the High-Level Group analyses the impact of megatrends, such as demographic changes and the impact of technology of digitalisation, on the labour market and their expected effects on social protection and welfare systems.
Participants discussed future challenges and opportunities for the welfare state through the event. Three topical panels were held, focusing on the main pillars of social protection systems. SGI Europe joined the conversation to address social services. The panel focused on the quest for the best balance between government provision of services through social economy organisations and for-profit providers, especially in light of the lessons leant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SGI Europe welcomes the report, emphasising the need to achieve adequate social protection to absorb asymmetric economic shocks or new social risks, especially while securing an adequate labour supply to function effectively and provide quality services.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
The European Commission published the list of members for the new mandate of the Platform on Sustainable Finance (PSF) this week. The Platform will continue to advise the Commission on the EU Taxonomy and the EU sustainable finance framework. SGI Europe will be represented in the Platform on Sustainable Finance by Vice-President Filippo Brandolini (Italy).
The PSF will also monitor the capital flows to sustainable investments. It comprises 33 representatives (28 members and five observers) selected based on their environmental and sustainable finance expertise, seven permanent members among EU agencies and bodies and nine EU institutions and international organisations. Helena Viñes Fiestas, Commissioner of the Spanish Financial Markets Authority and a member of the UN High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero Pledges, will chair the Platform, succeeding Nathan Fabian.
The Platform will reach out to a wide range of stakeholders on which new activities could be included in the EU Taxonomy or on possible amendments to the technical screening criteria of existing activities. In this context, the Commission will establish a Stakeholder Request Mechanism to develop or revise technical screening criteria for a given economic activity.
The Platform will be supported by three subgroups (on data and usability, on monitoring capital flows and a technical working group) where the technical work on its opinions, reports or recommendations takes place. The plenary serves as a forum to ensure that appropriate linkages are created between the relevant subgroups and to formally endorse advice and reports of the Platform.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Monday, the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) adopted the draft report on the European Year of Skills 2023, proposing for it to start on 9 May 2023. Interinstitutional negotiations will now occur between the European Parliament and the European Council.
In its resolution, the European Parliament calls for investing in inclusive and accessible lifelong learning systems and closing gaps and skills mismatches. High-quality education and training should also facilitate access to skills development by disadvantaged groups and vulnerable citizens and provide companies, especially small and medium enterprises, the crucial skills they need to grow and boost the competitiveness of the EU economy.
SGI Europe welcomes this vote and negotiating mandate for the EU Year of Skills 2023. It will be a crucial moment to conceive tools useful to find solutions to labour and skills shortages within the European Union. The conference concluding the joint project of SGI Europe and EFEE, “Green Skills and VET”, held in December, showed the importance of life-long training and skills development matters to SGI Europe.
Together with its members, SGI Europe stands ready to contribute to the EU Year of Skills and to answer skills gaps, especially in services of general interest.
Contact: Benoît Cassorla
On Monday 6 February, the Commission started the four-week public consultation on implementing the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (‘FSR'). With this implementing Regulation, the Commission aims at clarifying the application of the EU rules regarding the foreign subsidies that could distort competition in the EU internal market (see: Regulation on foreign subsidies distorting the internal market.)
As the state aid control system aims to ensure a level playing field between the competitors while receiving state support, the foreign subsidies' rules aim to control market participation of private or public undertakings subsidised by third countries. Along with the regulation on concentrations, an essential part of the Regulation is dedicated to public procurement. Such undertakings are not subject to state aid control and might enjoy a competitive advantage, enabling them to unduly bid and cause distortions in public procurement. The Regulation sets thresholds above which a foreign financial contribution in a public procurement procedure needs to be notified. All economic sectors are included in the Regulation, with a particular emphasis on the sectors of strategic interest to the Union and critical infrastructures. It has been in force since 12 January 2023.
The Implementing Regulation, now subject to consultation, sets in detail the rules on procedures for notifying concentrations and public procurement bids, the content of the notifications and in-depth investigations.
The Regulation and its Implementing Regulation are important pieces of legislation in the growing urges to secure strategic autonomy and keep critical infrastructures in the domain of autonomy of Member states.
Contact: Manca Pocivavsek
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