10 January 2025
The European Commission has opened the public consultation on the evaluation of the public procurement Directives. The consultation is open until Friday 7 March.
The initiative is backwards-looking, meaning it aims to evaluate the functioning of the Directives as they currently are rather than possible proposals for their revision. The Directives under scrutiny are:
Most of the questions are closed, but the possibility of including comments explaining the answer is offered. SGI Europe will give feedback on the public consultation and attach a position paper in which we will elaborate on our answers.
The response to the public consultation and the position paper will be the main topics of discussion in the meeting of the Internal Market Board on Wednesday 19 February. This meeting will take place on the SGI Europe premises in Brussels and online.
Contact: Ruben Sansom
We’re excited to remind you that our workshop on Sustainable Finance is just one week away! Mark your calendars for Friday 17 January 2025, from 10:00 to 15:30 in Brussels. We will also provide an online participation option for those unable to attend in person. Don't forget to register here as soon as possible e to secure your spot!
The Finance4EPSR project aims to deepen understanding of how a Social Taxonomy impacts businesses, especially those delivering services of general interest (SGIs). Additionally, the project aims to develop a methodology to guide non-financial reporting on social objectives, helping to enhance SGIs' contributions to the European Pillar of Social Rights.
This workshop will feature thematic sessions and interactive group discussions on Sustainable Finance and the critical need for a Social Taxonomy. It will provide an excellent opportunity to explore key factors and practical considerations for implementing sustainable finance requirements across key sectors such as healthcare, housing, transport, energy, and water throughout Europe.
Contact: Cecilia Martin
As Poland commences the rotating EU Presidency of the Council, it faces the dual challenge of addressing geopolitical instability and ensuring Europe's secure and resilient future. Against the backdrop of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Poland has placed security measures as its top priority, also making energy security at the forefront of its agenda.
The EU’s continued pivot away from Russian energy imports is a key priority. Significant strides have been made, such as reducing Russian gas and oil imports by two-thirds and eliminating coal imports. The Polish presidency seeks to accelerate the EU’s full withdrawal from Russian energy sources, ensuring reliable and affordable energy for citizens and businesses alike.
Central to this effort is the revision of the EU’s energy security framework. Poland will advocate for measures to strengthen the physical and cybersecurity of critical energy infrastructure across the EU and its neighbouring regions. A balanced approach to clean energy development will also be prioritised, fostering fair competition and innovation within the EU.
Recognising the vulnerabilities tied to imported technologies and raw materials, Poland plans to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains by promoting domestic and EU-wide solutions.
Beyond energy, Poland emphasises the broader security landscape, supporting initiatives to enhance European resilience in external, internal, economic, food, and health domains. With a commitment to democracy, freedom, and the rule of law, the Polish presidency aims to unify Europe and safeguard its values for future generations.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
In employment, social affairs and equality, the Polish Presidency will focus on three priorities: the future of work, equality and inclusion of vulnerable groups and demographic ageing.
Inherited from the Hungarian precedency, the Polish Precedency of the EU Council will attempt to agree on a general approach to the Traineeship Directive and the Equal Treatment Directive. They will also continue work on the revision of the European Works Councils Directive. These initiatives relate to the priority of the future of work.
On equality and inclusion, the Polish Presidency will engage in the 2025 review of the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and the Roadmap for Women’s Rights, due to be published in March 2025. A particular focus of the precedency will also be on gender equality in a modern digital society, concretely in regards to strengthening the equality and anti-discrimination perspective within the framework of the Digital Services Act.
Under the priority of demographic ageing, the Polish Presidency will strive to conclude work on the Eurostat-related file on the proposal for a Regulation on European statistics on population and housing and the proposal for a Regulation on European Union labour market statistics on businesses. These files both aim to facilitate data collection to diagnose better demographic changes and the situation in the labour market.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On the Internal Market side, the Polish Presidency generally closely follows the line set out by the Commission and European Council over the past year. It aims to deepen the Single Market and remove barriers to cross-border activity, particularly in the service sector.
The Presidency also intends to improve businesses’ access to private capital to allow them to scale up and reduce administrative burden. Regarding the latter, its objectives are especially far-reaching, as the Presidency wants to make the approach to energy and climate policy more flexible, focusing on rewards and incentives rather than penalties and obligations.
Public procurement is also mentioned, with the Presidency aiming to ‘make better use of the EU’s broad public procurement system’. Although not explicitly mentioned, this suggests that the Polish Presidency aims to work in line with the Commission on using public procurement strategically to further green and social objectives and support European business over those from third countries.
Finally, the Polish Presidency wants to start the conversation on shaping the future of cohesion policy in parallel with developments in the Single Market. It stressed that cohesion policy should be used to promote security and economic competitiveness, create a level playing field across the EU, and improve resilience to shocks.
Contact: Ruben Sansom
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