14 October 2022
On Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October, SGI Europe General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti took part in the informal EPSCO held in Prague (in the context of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU). The two-day meeting covered interlinked topics stemming from the situation created by the war in Ukraine: the integration of Ukrainian refugees in the EU labour market and the cost-of-living crisis. Ms Ronzitti emphasised at this occasion that swift emergency measures need to be coupled with a steady long-term perspective.
In shaping adequate policy responses, the integration of Ukrainian refugees has to consider contextual factors, such as the sheer volume, the gendered nature, and the specific geography of this crisis. This can be done through multiple measures, such as speeding up the recognition process of qualifications. SGI Europe also welcomes the launch of the EU Talent Pool.
The looming uncertainty over the outcome of the war has an impact on the refugees’ integration in Europe and the energy crisis that was addressed on the second day of the informal EPSCO. The cost-of-living crisis has put SGIs in a sandwiched position because their dependency on energy suppliers is coupled with the delivery obligations to their customers. SGI Europe called and will continue to call for strong and immediate support in core sectors with high energy needs, like utilities, public transport, public water suppliers and social housing. Furthermore, there is an increasing need for temporary measures to alleviate the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on all Europeans. This is why it is crucial to revive, revise and reform minimum income and short-term work schemes that gained momentum due to the pandemic.
In the margins of the plenary sessions, Valeria Ronzitti also had bilateral meetings with the Czech Deputy Prime Minister Marian Jurečka and the Portuguese Labour Minister Ana Mendes Godinho, discussing the critical topics of the EPSCO and beyond.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On 10 October 2022, the European Commission presented its pilot EU Talent Pool as a part of the Skills and Talent package within the Pact on Migration and Asylum. This initiative aims to support Ukrainian refugees in finding job opportunities through the EURES platform with the participation of 6 Member States in this pilot phase (Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Croatia, and Cyprus).
SGI Europe welcomes this initiative, as the Talent Pool can help gather more data on the skills of the refugees and add value to sectors that experience labour shortages and skills mismatches, including care workers and nursing professionals. It will also foster further integration and acceptability in the hosting communities.
Based on the outcomes of this pilot initiative, scaling up the Talent Pool and the Talent Partnerships could lead to a more coordinated European migration framework while developing a common approach for vocational and educational training dimensions in migration policy for all skills levels.
Contact: Stefan Enica
On 11-12 October, SGI Europe, represented by Vice-President Filippo Brandolini, attended the last plenary session of the Platform on Sustainable Finance, ending the Platform’s 2-year mandate, which was aimed at shaping the six remaining environmental objectives of the EU Taxonomy of sustainable activities.
During this final meeting, the plenary adopted its report on Data and Usability of the EU Taxonomy and on Minimum Safeguards. The reports have been transmitted to the European Commission, and the text’s final adoption is expected by the end of the year.
Regarding the EU Taxonomy 4 (Taxo4), some final criteria are still being discussed and finalised in the Technical Working Group (TWG) before handing over the second batch of criteria of the Taxonomy to the secretariat of the European Commission. In parallel, the Commission is currently reviewing the other reports produced by the Platform, including the Extended Taxonomy and the Social Taxonomy. An “EU taxonomy package” is expected by the end of the year, which should also include a guideline tool for investors and industries on how to use the EU Taxonomy.
Finally, the European Commission has launched the call for applications for members for the new mandate of the Platform on Sustainable Finance. The mandate of the new Platform is planned to start in Q1 2023 and ends in Q4 2024.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
In the framework of the European project “Green Skills in VET” framework, SGI Europe invite you to register for the final dissemination conference here. SGI Europe and EFEE will welcome Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Affairs, as keynote speaker on this occasion.
The goal of this conference is to present the research findings brought out in the context of 2 years project coordinated by SGI Europe, in partnership with the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE), and co-funded by the European Commission, aimed at promoting the teaching of green skills within Vocational Education and Training (VET).
In the framework of the European project “Involving SGIs in the European Semester”, SGI Europe invite you to register for the final dissemination conference here. On this occasion, SGI Europe will welcome Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, as the keynote speaker.
The goal of this conference is to present the research findings brought out in the context of 2 years project coordinated by SGI Europe and co-funded by the European Commission, aimed at improving the involvement of the SGI Europe national members in the European Semester processes.
Contact: Stefan Enica
On Wednesday 12 October 2022, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the enforcement of EU law, aiming at reinforcing the application of the EU law in the same way across all Member States. The implementation and enforcement of EU rules are essential for delivering the EU’s policies and ensuring that citizens and businesses enjoy the full benefits of EU law. Therefore, the Communication provides an overview of the Commission and the Member states' efforts to enforce EU law.
The Communication dedicates a chapter to the Fast and effective reaction to crises (VII). It outlines that the crises challenge the functioning of the EU Single Market. It also highlights that the effective enforcement of EU law remains critical for delivering essential goods and services. The chapter furthermore highlights the ability of the EU to adapt, which has proven to be an efficient approach to ensure that the EU law continues to apply. In addition to one of the most exposed tools, the Temporary Crisis Framework, the Communication also mentions the Temporary Protection Directive, derogations from the rules of the company meetings, etc., and other adopted rules about ensuring the mitigation of the energy crisis.
The Communication briefly mentions the enforcement of the public procurement rules and the infringement procedures initiated in the area of services.
Contact: Manca Pocivavsek
Join us, stay informed
Subscribe to have all the latest news and developments delivered straight to your inbox.