17 April 2025
On 14–15 April 2025, the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU hosted the Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers in Warsaw. The event brought together EPSCO Ministers, the European Commission, and social partners to discuss key employment and social challenges, including the impact of digitalisation, labour market equality, and integration policies.
During the sessions, Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary of SGI Europe, shared perspectives on several key topics. On digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) in the world of work, she noted that services of general interest are already adjusting to algorithmic systems. While acknowledging the opportunities these technologies offer, she emphasised associated risks, such as those related to transparency, skills, and changes in workplace structures. She underlined the importance of placing social dialogue at the heart of efforts to anticipate and shape these transformations. She indicated that AI in the workplace would be a top priority in the upcoming EU Social Partners Work Programme.
Regarding integration policies, she pointed to SGI Europe's leadership in the Labour-INT3 project, conducted in collaboration with other EU cross-sectoral social partners. Based on experiences in Bulgaria, Poland, Slovenia, and Italy, this project aims to foster the labour market integration of third-country nationals through local partnerships offering job matching, mentoring, language training, and upskilling.
She highlighted the unequal distribution of care responsibilities as a persistent barrier to labour market equality and stressed that access to quality, affordable care infrastructure must be preserved. She warned that shrinking public budgets and shifting policy priorities should not jeopardise care services, which are vital for achieving gender equality.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
Register to attend the event on “The Revision of Public Procurement Directives – Setting the scene for Social Economy, Services of General Interest & the EU”, organised by the EP intergroup on Social Economy and Services of General Interest.
SGI Europe, together with the Social Economy Europe and MEPs involved in the European Parliament’s intergroup on Social Economy and Services of General Interest, will organise the second event of the Intergroup on Tuesday 13 May 2025, from 10:30 to 12:30 at the European Parliament in Brussels (room Antall 6Q1).
This event will be the occasion for Services of General Interest and Social Economy providers to promote their views on the upcoming revision of public procurement directives, expected in early 2026. It will also be the occasion for them to exchange and address their points to a panel of MEPs working on the public procurement file, as well as representatives from the European Commission and Member States.
As usual, the Intergroup will be the place for SGIs and SE representatives to exchange and address topics directly towards representatives from the EU institutions. However, it will also allow EU lawmakers to get first-hand information from actors operating on the ground.
To register, please fill out the form here. The deadline to register for the event is 28 April 2025. Registration is mandatory, and seats are limited. We will return to you with a registration confirmation in due time.
Contact: Benoît Cassorla
On 16 April, SGI Europe participated in the high-level exchange with Roxana Mînzatu, European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness. This meeting marked the start of the consultation process with social partners on the upcoming Quality Jobs Roadmap.
While recognising the importance of addressing job quality, SGI Europe expressed reservations about the current framing of the initiative, and called for a more balanced and realistic approach that takes into account the diversity of employment contexts across Europe.
SGI Europe raised, in particular, the need for a multidimensional definition of quality jobs, avoiding overly prescriptive or standardised models and a stronger focus on labour and skills shortages, particularly in essential SGIs. The importance of respecting the autonomy of social partners and the diversity of industrial relations systems, as well as clear, transparent, and inclusive consultation process, was also put forward.
Finally, SGI Europe also highlighted the specific constraints faced by SGI employers, such as the need to deliver services on a 24/7 basis and structural workforce challenges, urging the Commission to provide targeted support and avoid additional regulatory burdens.
SGI Europe will remain engaged in the next steps and will continue to represent the views of SGI employers throughout the consultation process.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On 8 April, the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee met with Commissioner Jessika Roswall, responsible for Environment, Water Resilience, and the Circular Economy. The discussion centred on the Commission’s simplification agenda in environmental policymaking.
Commissioner Roswall emphasised that simplification should reduce administrative burden (such as cutting delegated and implementing acts by one-third) while maintaining environmental integrity and competitiveness. This approach drew mixed reactions: while some MEPs welcomed streamlined processes, others raised concerns about potentially weakened safeguards.
MEP Rasmus Nordqvist (Greens/EFA) warned against greenwashing, especially in relation to PFAS chemicals and the “do no significant harm” principle. Delara Burkhardt (S&D) stressed that simplification must not undermine key legislation, including the EU’s deforestation rules.
Addressing Europe’s escalating water crisis, Roswall underlined the need for cross-border cooperation and flood risk management. However, her remarks on PFAS prompted concern: she acknowledged their necessity in some products (e.g. medicines) but avoided committing to a ban, leaving uncertainty around the Commission’s position on this long-standing environmental threat.
Further questions arose around the high costs linked to removing micro-pollutants from wastewater, particularly from pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Roswall noted these were “higher than expected” and ongoing discussions with Member States continue under the updated Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.
SGI Europe supports the strong application of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principle as negotiated, to ensure polluters (rather than providers of SGIs) bear these costs. With growing urgency on water resilience, greater clarity is needed to prevent delays and uphold the polluter-pays principle effectively.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Monday 14 April, Member States endorsed the Commission's proposal to delay the application of upcoming sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements. This decision from the Council also follows the agreement of the European Parliament on 3 April, which also green-lit the “stop-the-clock” proposal of the European Commission included in the first Omnibus Package presented on 26 February.
The measure adopted will postpone to 2028 the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requirements for large companies that have not yet started reporting and listed SMEs. It will also postpone to 2028 the application of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive for the first set of companies concerned. Initiated by the Commission and fast-tracked by the European Parliament, this is the first element of the Simplification Omnibus on sustainability to be adopted.
In the meantime, the European Parliament has confirmed that the committees on Budgets and Economic and Monetary Affairs will lead the work on the second element of the Omnibus on sustainability, to review the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Rapporteurs will be Aura Salla (EPP, FI, BUDG) and Irene Tinagli (S&D, IT, ECON).
Contact: Maxime Staelens
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