19 June 2026
On Tuesday 23 June, SGI Europe will organise its SGI Day on how Services of General Interest can support the operationalisation of the Freedom to Stay across Europe. The event will take place at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels, from 14:00 to 17:30.
The SGI Day will start with an introduction and a keynote speech by high-level representatives from the EU Commission, including EVP Roxana Minzatu and Head of EVP Fitto's cabinet, Vincenzo Matano. We will also hear from EESC President Seamus Boland and EESC Employers' Group President, Sandra Parthie.
These introductory remarks will be followed by an introduction from Ivailo Kalfin, Eurofund Executive Director, of the report on "Measuring the freedom to stay: Understanding the conditions that enable people to stay in their region".
Those high-level introductions will be followed by two panel discussions on ways to connect the Freedom to Stay to EU policy developments and to turn the concept into concrete deliverables on the ground.
Enrico Letta, author of the report on the Future of the EU Single Market, will also deliver a video message, recalling why the Freedom to Stay is the best way to reconcile the cohesion policy and the EU Single Market.
Contact: Benoit Cassorla
On 18 and 19 June, during Refugee Week, SGI Europe joined the ETUC seminar "Supporting Migrants' Integration into the Labour Market", organised in Istanbul together with HAK-İŞ in the framework of the LABOUR-INT III project.
Discussions took place in Turkey, a country with direct experience of large-scale refugee influxes and reception. They began with a clear message: humanitarian support for third-country nationals (TCNs) is essential, but it is not enough. Labour market integration and social integration are equally important and mutually reinforce each other. Both require legal certainty, skills recognition, decent working conditions, and access to high-quality services, including language and cultural support, education, health, and housing.
All speakers underlined that informal work, limited awareness of existing national legislation, and language barriers continue to prevent many TCNs from fully accessing their rights and entering quality employment. It makes the role of public authorities, social partners, employers and trade unions, international organisations and civil society organisations essential.
As coordinator of the LABOUR-INT III project, SGI Europe stressed that integration is a pathway, not a single intervention or stand-alone initiative. Effective integration requires a multi-stakeholder approach that turns separate forms of support -from welcoming services and legal guidance to language learning, training, job placement and rights protection- into a coherent pathway built around the real needs of each person.
The seminar highlighted the importance of moving from project-based cooperation to more structured partnerships, with clear roles, trust between actors, and sufficient financial capacity for implementation. For SGI Europe, this is central to ensuring that labour market integration leads not only to employment, but to decent, sustainable and rights-based participation in society. SGI Europe remains committed to the LABOUR-INT III project and to working with social partners, public authorities, employers, trade unions, and civil society to help make rights-based labour-market integration a reality for third-country nationals across Europe.
Contact: Cecilia Martin
SGI Europe has submitted its feedback to the European Commission on the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), published on 4 March 2026 as part of the EU’s efforts to strengthen its industrial capacity, competitiveness and strategic autonomy. The proposal introduces new requirements related to public procurement and public support schemes, as well as the creation of industrial acceleration areas, with a particular focus on strategic sectors such as steel, cement, aluminium, vehicles, and net‑zero technologies.
In its feedback, SGI Europe expresses support for the overall objective of strengthening European industrial value chains and reducing strategic dependencies. At the same time, it stresses that the implementation of Made in Europe and low-carbon requirements must remain proportionate, operationally feasible and legally certain for contracting authorities, contracting entities and providers of services of general interest.
The paper highlights concerns regarding the potential increase in procurement costs, administrative burdens and legal uncertainty arising from the proposal. Greater clarity is needed on key concepts, compliance-related obligations and verification mechanisms, particularly regarding the proposed self-declaration system.
Furthermore, SGI Europe calls for flexible and workable derogations where compliant products are unavailable, excessively costly or likely to cause significant delays. It also emphasises the need to avoid distortions between public and private buyers and to ensure consistency with other rules, including international agreements, competition principles and the upcoming revision of the EU public procurement framework.
The IAA proposal will now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council, who will work on their respective positions ahead of the next stages of the legislative process.
Contact: Raquel Carro-Andollo
On 18 June, the European Parliament adopted a joint motion for a resolution on the implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) with 294 votes in favour, 245 against, and 28 abstentions. Supported by the conservative party EPP and ECR, the non-binding text calls on the European Commission to produce a new independent study by the end of 2026. Crucially, it pushes to temporarily suspend Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations if that study demonstrates risks to medicine supplies.
SGI Europe strongly regrets this outcome and the weak political signal the Parliament sends to public services and EU citizens. Representing wastewater utilities, water companies, and public authorities, SGI Europe stands behind services of general interest (SGIs) that deliver quality and quantity in an affordable manner to both citizens and larger consumers.
By jeopardising the polluter-pays principle, which requires the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries to cover up to 80% of quaternary wastewater treatment costs, this outcome shifts the financial responsibility for cleanup onto public bodies and citizens.
A cost-evaluation study by member BDEW highlights that initial calculations by Medicines for Europe do not accurately reflect the financial reality of the EPR scheme. Because the directive features a phased rollout, not all wastewater treatment plants will implement the quaternary treatment phase at the same time. This gradual timeline gives pharmaceutical companies ample time to adapt and ensure generic medicines remain affordable as EPR obligations slowly take effect. SGI Europe stands ready to support the Commission’s study to ensure the perspective of water providers is prioritised, securing affordable, clean water for all.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
At the invitation of BusinessEurope and its Social Affairs Committee Chair, Matthias Dahl, SGI Europe's Social Affairs Board Chair, Jeanette Grenfors, joined the Committee to exchange views on the future of social dialogue and current developments in EU employment and social policy.
Drawing on more than two decades of involvement in European social dialogue, Ms Grenfors shared SGI Europe's perspective on the challenges facing employers and social partners. She stressed the importance of keeping EU legislation flexible, understandable and workable across different labour market systems.
A central message of her intervention was the need to protect the Treaty-based role of European social partners. While employer organisations may not always share the same priorities, they have a common interest in ensuring that solutions are developed as close as possible to workplaces and national realities.
Ms Grenfors also reflected on several trends affecting labour market regulation, including the growing complexity of EU legislation, increasing political pressure for new initiatives, and the expanding EU debate over issues traditionally handled through national social dialogue and collective bargaining.
Looking ahead, she welcomed the ongoing negotiations on the future European Cross-sectoral Social Partners Work Programme. She highlighted areas where joint work can bring real value, including skills, labour market participation, preparedness and capacity building.
Concluding the discussion, Ms Grenfors emphasised the importance of cooperation among employer organisations and of maintaining a constructive relationship with trade unions. In a period marked by economic uncertainty, demographic change and geopolitical tensions, she called on social partners to continue their work with respect for each other's positions, a sense of balance and a shared commitment to finding practical solutions.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
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