17 March 2023
On Monday 13 March 2023, the 48th Macroeconomic dialogue at the political level was organised by the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Chaired by Elisabeth Svantesson, Swedish minister of Finance, the MEDPOL gathered Paschal Donohoe, Eurogroup President, Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission Executive Vice-President, Luis de Guindos, ECB Vice-President, as well as EU social partners and representatives of the two upcoming Presidencies (Spain and Belgium).
The meeting focused on two topics: the review of current economic conditions, outlook and appropriate policy responses, and the EU productivity and competitiveness, trends, challenges, and the way forward. On this occasion, Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, addressed the EU decision-makers, calling for an ambitious framework to prevent divergence and relaunch the EU project on solid foundations. Furthermore, she stressed the importance of EU public goods in fields such as healthcare, energy and critical infrastructure in supporting the improvement of EU competitiveness and productivity, which are essential factors in tackling present and future challenges.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On Thursday 16 March, the European Commission tabled its proposal for a Net-Zero Industry Act. This proposal aims to scale up clean technologies in Europe, strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of net-zero technologies manufacturing in the EU, and make energy systems more secure and sustainable. It focuses on improving conditions to set up net-zero projects and attracting investments, aiming to support at least 40% of the EU deployment needs in cleantech by 2030.
SGI Europe generally welcomes the EU’s ambitions to develop Net-Zero industrial capacities in the EU. Facilitating the deployment of low-carbon and renewables is a core priority to reach the goals of the EU Green Deal. The Net-Zero Industry Act must contribute to an enabling framework supporting the EU’s strategic autonomy while guaranteeing end-users, including SGI providers, safe and secure access to the infrastructures needed for the green transition.
A core element for the success of the deployment of clean-tech industries in Europe will be its alignment with existing legislations, such as the EU Taxonomy, the EU Green Deal and the initiatives of the circular economy action plan. Stakeholders’ involvement must also be at the heart of the Net-Zero Industry Act. The Net-Zero Platform and Net-Zero Industry Academies must reflect the diversity of active European stakeholders and interests. SGIs, both as employers and providers of essential services, are instrumental to the success of the EU green transition.”
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On 14 March 2023, the European Commission published its proposal for a revision of the Electricity Market Design, aimed at accelerating the deployment of renewables, helping make energy prices less dependent on fossil fuel prices, protecting better consumers and supporting the green transformation of the EU economy.
SGI Europe welcomes the proposals set out by the European Commission. Reconnecting the electricity market design with the EU Green Deal and REPowerEU will be a key to boosting renewable and low-carbon technologies. The current market design has functional elements to create a competitive energy market, but the impacts of the Russian war highlighted some of its dysfunctional features. The Electricity Market must remain resilient, based on sustainable and low-carbon energy technologies, consider the maturity of all technologies and apply the technology-neutrality principle with robust CO2 pricing.
The new EMD must deliver on the EU climate objectives and enable a cost-effective transition by adding long-term market mechanisms to the existing short-term market. SGI Europe generally welcomes measures to create safety nets between short-term markets and consumers. It is also crucial to guarantee the security of supply at all times.
Energy efficiency must remain the core guiding principle for EU energy policy. To that aim, the reviewed electricity market has a pivotal role to play but needs to be accompanied by low-carbon technologies, renewable and decarbonised gases, district heating systems (wherever economically feasible), and a new hydrogen market.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Thursday 16 March 2023, the European Commission presented its Communications on Single Market at 30 and on the Long-term competitiveness of the EU beyond 2030.
The Communication on Single Market at 30 summarises its main achievements since 1992 and sets the expectations and objectives for the future. One of the highlighted successes is linked with the critical role of essential services such as energy, water and health provision, transport and telecommunications in responding to the consecutive crises faced by the EU in the last 30 years. Since SGIs need to remain operational during and after disasters and crises, it also highlights the importance of essential services for ensuring the well-being of people.
The Communication focuses on two critical areas for further action to enforce the existing Single Market rulebook: removing Member State level barriers and continuing to foster the green and digital dimensions of the Single Market as a source of innovation, growth and competitiveness. In this regard, SGI Europe welcomes the acknowledgement of the correct and timely transposition of EU law and a call to avoid unjustified gold plating. This angle is also echoed in the accompanying Communication “Long-term competitiveness of the EU: looking beyond 2030”. This Communication points out nine mutually reinforcing drivers for fostering competition: a functioning Single Market, access to private capital and investment, public investment and infrastructure, research and innovation, energy, circularity, digitalisation, education and skills, trade and open strategic autonomy, and a growth-enhancing regulatory framework.
Within the “driver” of public investment and infrastructure, a high level of SGIs and infrastructure is recognised as fundamental to the resilience of our economies. It also highlights the importance of increasing public investment and capacity of the EU's energy, transport and connectivity infrastructure.
Contact: Manca Pocivavsek
On Tuesday 14 March 2023, EU Social and Economic Partners met with representatives of the European Commission’s DG Home Affairs for the first meeting at the technical level following the signature of the joint statement of the EU Partnership for Integration of 19 December 2022.
During the meeting, the European Commission provided a comprehensive update on ongoing relevant local, national and European initiatives on refugees’ and migrants’ integration and Talent Partnerships. EU Social and Economic partners, including SGI Europe, shared their members' best practices and actions on the ground related to the integration of refugees and migrants.
SGI Europe renewed its strong commitment to policies of the European Union regarding the integration of refugees and migrants, primarily via their integration into the European labour market and the insurance of access to essential services such as education, healthcare and housing. On 19 December 2022, the European Commission and European Social and Economic Partners (SGI Europe, BusinessEurope, SMEunited, ETUC and Eurochambres) signed up to a joint statement, reaffirming the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to facilitate the integration of migrants and refugees into the labour market.
Contact: Benoît Cassorla
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