17 October 2025
On 14 October 2025, SGI Europe participated in the dedicated hearing for social partners on the upcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy. The Strategy, expected in early 2026, will provide a common framework for joint action at the EU and national levels to tackle the structural drivers and root causes of poverty.
Building on a social investment perspective, the Strategy will combine new initiatives with accelerated implementation of existing measures, while promoting investment and reforms that contribute to poverty reduction. It will also aim to strengthen monitoring and analysis of poverty and exclusion across the EU, including through improved social statistics and closer coordination within the Social Protection Committee.
During the hearing, SGI Europe underlined the key contribution of services of general interest to poverty prevention and social inclusion, calling for access to quality and affordable services to be firmly anchored in the strategy. Highlighting the importance of effective social investment as a central pillar, SGI Europe stressed that early investment in areas such as childcare, housing and active labour market policies also helps prevent exclusion, strengthens Europe’s productive capacity and reduces costs over time.
Highlighting these principles, SGI Europe members also shared some of the initiatives that are being implemented by Social Partners in Europe, including work on social impact assessment in specific sectors and projects targeting early school leavers.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
This week, the European Commission published its evaluation of the 2014 public procurement package, which includes Directive 2014/23/EU on Concessions, Directive 2014/24/EU on Public Procurement and Directive 2014/25/EU on Utilities.
The evaluation is a 284-page-long document which assesses the effects of the 2014 public procurement directives between 2016 and 2024, using the input received during the public consultation that ran from December 2024 to March 2025, as well as data reported by Member States and external studies commissioned to external consultants to support the European Commission’s work on the evaluation.
You can find the evaluation report here. SGI Europe members will have the opportunity to discuss the evaluation during the upcoming meeting of the Internal Market Board on 18 November 2025, as well as take stock of the soon-to-be-launched forward-looking public consultation, which is expected to be launched shortly.
The revision of the public procurement directives is expected in Q2-Q3 2026 and is anticipated to be one of the European Commission's flagship initiatives next year.
Contact: Raquel Carro-Andollo
SGI Europe has responded to the European Commission’s Call for Evidence on the upcoming simplification digital package. The consultation aims to assess how the EU rules on data, cybersecurity, electronic identification and artificial intelligence could be streamlined. The SGI Europe response, based on membership consultation, outlines specific aspects of the digital acquis that could be improved, without weakening its core objectives: protection of fundamental rights, cybersecurity, innovation, and public trust.
For the revision, SGI Europe calls for improved coherence and clarity across the digital rules, among others, by clarifying terminology and scope in data legislation, and by providing precise and consolidated guidance on the relationship between data, AI, cybersecurity, and privacy rules. Additionally, the Digital Omnibus should aim for simplified and harmonised reporting obligations under the different existing frameworks, such as the GDPR, the NIS2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act.
Nonetheless, the existing security exemptions in the INSPIRE Directive and the sectoral exemptions in the data legislation should be maintained to ensure, on the one hand, that sensitive infrastructure data is not disclosed, and on the other hand, that the editorial independence and intellectual property of public service broadcasters are safeguarded.
All SGI Europe members are united in reiterating that simplification measures should also apply to municipal and public enterprises meeting the same size criteria as SMEs or mid-caps. In this regard, we encourage the Commission to revise the definition of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Annexe I of the GBER to consider publicly owned enterprises as SMEs.
The Commission plans to adopt the digital omnibus in the 4th quarter of 2025.
Contact: Raquel Carro-Andollo
SGI Europe representatives participated in the 7th meeting of the Labour Migration Platform, held on 15 October 2025, as active members of this EU-level forum, coordinated by the European Commission’s DG HOME and DG EMPL. The Platform provides a valuable space for dialogue among Member States, EU institutions, and social partners, and the 7th meeting focused on fair recruitment, enforcement of labour standards, and protection of migrant workers’ rights.
These themes are also central to SGI Europe’s work through the LABOUR-INT III project. As the lead partner of the initiative, SGI Europe coordinates a network of employers, trade union organisations, public authorities, and international organisations that work together to create inclusive, fair, and employer-driven pathways for the labour market integration of third-country nationals in Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, and Slovenia. The discussions held during the Platform’s sessions on fair recruitment practices, enforcement under the Employers Sanctions Directive, and protection against exploitation resonate with the project’s output and the work done by the Expert Group on Decent Employment Conditions.
The LABOUR-INT III provides concrete examples of how public employment services, local organisations, and social partners can cooperate to ensure ethical recruitment, improve skills matching, recognise qualifications, and uphold decent work for all workers, regardless of their origin. SGI Europe’s participation in the Platform underscores its commitment to incorporating the perspectives of service providers and employers into the EU. Policy dialogue on labour migration and to translate project-based lessons into practical recommendations that support a fair and well-governed migration system.
Contact: Cecilia Martin
On 16 October 2025, SGI Europe attended the signing ceremony of the Women’s Rights Roadmap. The event, organised by Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, gathered representatives from EU institutions, Member States and stakeholders to celebrate a shared commitment to advancing gender equality across Europe.
The ceremony included addresses from Commissioner Labib and VP Commissioner Mînzatu. The event also served as an opportunity to highlight the upcoming EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030, which will build on the objectives set out in the Roadmap.
SGI Europe and its members are committed to promoting gender equality in both their roles as employers and as service providers. In our Opinion on Gender Equality post-2025, SGI Europe outlines how services of general interest can contribute to gender equality through targeted measures in employment, care provision, and access to services.
Contact: Astrid Norberg
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