23 September 2022
On 5 December 2022, in the context of the project “Green Skills in VET”, SGI Europe and the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE) will organise the final dissemination conference of the project on Monday 5 December, from 14:00 to 17:00. At this occasion, SGI Europe and EFEE will welcome Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Affairs, as keynote speaker.
Within the conference, SGI Europe and EFEE will present the final report of the project, including key research findings on the current and future green skills and training needs of SGI employers, as well as the role of education providers in the environmental transition.
The dissemination conference of the project “Involving SGIs in the European Semester” will be organised by SGI Europe in Brussels on the morning of 8 December, from 9:30 to 12:30. Amongst other speakers, SGI Europe will welcome at this occasion Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for An Economy that Works for People.
SGI Europe and its members will present the project’s outcomes, including the new network of National Semester Contact Points and the methodology that will guide and improve SGI Europe’s contribution to the milestones of the Semester process.
The draft agendas and registration information will soon be circulated.
Contact: Stefan Enica
On 22 September 2022, the EU social partners (SGI Europe, ETUC, BusinessEurope and SMEunited) organised a fact-finding seminar, kickstarting the negotiations for the revision of the autonomous framework agreement on telework (2002).
This revision will ultimately lead to a request for implementation of their revised agreement into a European directive. Therefore, to conduct an informed negotiation, EU social partners explored during the seminar activities and the experience of their members when it comes to negotiating collective agreement on telework. During the seminar, collective agreements at national, sectoral and company levels, as well as national legal frameworks, were presented to highlight the state of play across the EU.
Experts from Eurofound and the OECD also presented the situation at EU level, especially in light of the rapid development of telework following the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the outcomes of surveys conducted on the impact of telework on work-life balance, employee and employer satisfaction and health and safety.
The European Commission explained in detail the EU acquis, which would be the legal framework of a future directive on telework and the right to disconnect. In particular, the Commission highlighted recent developments linked to the working time directive and recent CJEU court case on standby time and on the recording of working time and the ongoing revision of two Directives: the Workplace (Directive 89/654/EEC) and the display screen equipment (Directive 90/270/EEC), as well as the impact of cross-border telework on the application of the EU social security regulations.
The EU social partners will have their first negotiation meeting on 4 October 2022.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On Wednesday 14 September, during the European Parliament's plenary session, MEPs agreed on their position on the Renewable Energy Directive. MEPs call for raising the share of renewables in the EU’s final energy consumption to 45% by 2030 under the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) – a target also backed by the European Commission under its REPowerEU package. The text, defining sub-targets for sectors such as transport, buildings, and district heating and cooling, was adopted with 418 votes in favour, 109 against and 111 abstentions.
In a separate vote, MEPs backed the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). This law sets energy-saving targets in both primary and final energy consumption in the EU. MEPs raised the EU target for reducing final and primary energy consumption so that member states must collectively ensure final energy consumption is reduced by at least 40% by 2030 and 42.5% in primary energy consumption compared to 2007 projections. The text was adopted with 469 votes in favour, 93 against and 82 abstentions.
With this vote, the European Parliament backed a mandatory target to reduce the EU’s energy consumption down by 14.5% by 2030, higher than the 13% proposed in May by the Commission in its REPowerEU plan. Member States, which held intense negotiations to agree to a 9% target in July, will have to find a new agreement on this increased energy savings target.
With the plenary vote cleared, the European Parliament can enter trilogue talks with the European Council and the European Commission. The start of those negotiations is expected to start in October 2022.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Monday 19 September, European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Vestager and Commissioner Breton introduced a new proposal for a Regulation establishing a Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI). Together with Directives amending existing legislations, the Regulation proposes a new set of rules to tackle severe disruptions in the functioning of the internal market.
The main aim of the Regulation is to guarantee the functioning of the Single Market in times of emergency. It foresees three different phases of risks: contingency, vigilance and emergency. Depending on the phase activated, a new dedicated advisory group (a new body established with the Regulation) will advise on the appropriate measures for preventing or addressing the impacts of the crisis on the Single Market. Measures can vary from monitoring and reorienting supply chains of goods and services of strategic importance to build up strategic reserves, procurement of goods and services of strategic importance on behalf of Member States or banning restrictions to free movement.
Commissioner Breton emphasised that the Regulation tries to prevent the improvisation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of the multiple crises currently faced leading to various emergency responses, the SMEI intends to set up a clear framework enabling fast and coordinated response.
Contact: Manca Pocivavsek
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