21 March 2025
On Wednesday 19 March 2025, Pascal Bolo, SGI Europe President, and Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary, addressed the Tripartite Social Summit in the presence of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Adam Szłapka, Polish Minister for the European Union.
During the meeting, participants discussed the need to strengthen the EU in the challenging geopolitical environment and bring Europe back on track as an attractive business and investment location to sustain our European model and quality jobs.
On this occasion, SGI Europe President Pascal Bolo emphasised in his intervention the need for European institutions to better support services of general interest that provide the essential services and critical infrastructure that Europe needs to remain sovereign and competitive. He also highlighted the need for the administrative burden to be reduced for all companies, including those providing SGIs and SMEs with public participation.
During the moderated discussion, General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti further called for the upcoming Commission's report on preparedness to embed the crucial role of SGIs in crisis planning and the long-term strategic autonomy framework as an active pillar of our security.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On 18-19 March 2025, the SGI Europe Energy and Transport Task Force convened in Warsaw, Poland, for its first meetings of the year. Both meetings were held in Warsaw, in the context of the Polish Presidency of the Council, providing a meaningful context for discussions on key energy and transport issues at the European level.
Hosted by Employers of Poland, Rafał Dutkiewicz, President of Employers of Poland, and Jacek Cieplak, Vice-President of Employers of Poland (and Vice-President of SGI Europe), provided welcome introductions. Chaired by Elmar Thyen (Wuppertal Stadtwerke) and vice-chair Kristian Dahl Larsen (Sammfunnsbedriftene), members of the Energy Task Force focused on urgent matters, such as the recently published EU Affordable Energy Action Plan. On this point, the Task Force welcomed Tomas Anker Christensen, cabinet member of Commissioner Dan Jorgensen (in charge of Energy and Housing), who shared insights on energy policy and challenges.
The meeting also included a side visit to Veolia Polska in Warsaw, member of Employers of Poland, where participants explored an innovative energy recovery system designed to harness energy from running metros. This cutting-edge system showcases how urban transportation can contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability, aligning with the city's broader green initiatives.
On 19 March, the Transport Task Force gathered in Warsaw, co-organised by the International Road Carriers Association (ZMPD), with vice-chair Joanna Popiolek. Chaired by Mihai Chirca (Transdev), the meeting focused on the EU's upcoming plans for sustainable transport investment and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in transport and energy. Discussions also covered security measures and challenges facing the transport sector in building resilient and sustainable mobility services.
As a final highlight of the visit, ZMPD organised a tour of the Centre for Locodrivers Examinations at the Office of Railway Transport, offering a hands-on experience with the railway driver simulator provided for training purposes.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Tuesday 18 March, SGI Europe exchanged views with members of the cabinet of Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.
Focused on the upcoming revision of the public procurement directives, the Clean Industrial Deal and the Circular Economy Act foreseen for Q4 2026, the meeting allowed SGI Europe to present its response to the public consultation on public procurement, as well as the key messages of the Opinion “SGIs in the Clean Industrial Deal” adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024. From SGI Europe’s standing as representative of both buyers and bidders in procurement procedures, it was the occasion to present the concerns highlighted by SGI Europe’s members in the evaluation of the public procurement directives, as well as a better understanding of the ambition of the European Commission (and of EVP Séjourné) to simplify the rules and improve the implementation of the directives.
Another key discussion point was the upcoming Circular Economy Act, which was announced in the political guidelines of the European Commission in July 2024 and which should aim at “helping to create market demand for secondary materials and a single market for waste, notably about critical raw materials.” Building upon the Clean Industrial Deal, this proposal will aim at fostering both the demand and the supply sides of the circular economy. SGI Europe will closely monitor the developments and ensure that providers of services of general interest are part of the conversation.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
SGI Europe, together with the MEPs involved in the European Parliament’s intergroup on Social Economy and Services of General Interest, will organise the first event of the Intergroup on Tuesday 8 April 2025, from 15:30 to 17:00, at the European Parliament (Brussels).
Focused on ‘The EU Way of Competitiveness’, this event will highlight the role of SGIs in promoting social, territorial and economic cohesion in the EU. It will also showcase that SGIs are an essential pillar of the new approach to EU competitiveness to increase the economy's overall competitiveness while strengthening the single market across Europe – consequently boosting social cohesion and the long-term sustainability of Europe’s growth and competitiveness.
This event will be the opportunity for SGI providers from the ground to exchange with MEPs, EU institutions representatives and external stakeholders on the contribution of SGIs to the EU competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
The final programme is being finalised and will be shared very soon.
Contact: Benoit Cassorla
On 20 and 21 March, SGI Europe representatives participated in the ShaPE project Interim Meeting in Florence, Italy. This event, led and organised by the European University Institute (EUI), brought together leading experts, the academic community and stakeholders from across Europe to explore the role of social partners in shaping European social and labour policies.
Funded by the European Commission, the ShaPE project – EU Social Partners as Makers and Shapers of Social Europe – aims to "examine the pivotal role of social partners in treaty-making and law-making for Social Europe". Led by Professor Claire Kilpatrick, co-director of the Academy of European Law at EUI, the project seeks to generate new insights into how social partners have historically influenced European labour and social policies and how this experience can inform future decision-making.
The Interim Meeting held in Florence featured a series of technical workshops and discussions on the role of the European social partners in treaty, law-making, and worker representation. SGI Europe, as project associate, attended the event to engage with prominent academics, policymakers and fellow social partners' representatives on issues crucial to the future of European social dialogue.
During the two days, the discussions focused on the impact of the social partners in the European legislative process, the evolution of industrial relations in Europe, and the effectiveness of framework agreements in shaping national policies. The Interim Meeting also addressed upcoming events, project deliverables, and strategies for future publications, including the launch of the digital exhibition and meta-archive that will collect documents, photos and videos, interviews of social partners and institutional actors, and their involvement in social dialogue.
SGI Europe's engagement in the ShaPE project aligns with the organisation's broader efforts to reinforce social dialogue and strengthen Europe’s labour and social policy framework.
Contact: Cecilia Martin
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