24 April 2026
On Monday 20 April, SGI Europe participated in the event organised by Union Sociale pour l’Habitat (with the support of the French Permanent Representation to the EU and Housing Europe), which brought together policymakers, housing providers and sector representatives to discuss the future of housing in Europe and the conditions for scaling up investment and production.
The discussions highlighted a broad consensus on the urgency of addressing the housing crisis, increasingly recognised as a structural European challenge. Participants underlined the need to boost the supply of affordable housing, mobilise long-term investment and ensure that regulatory frameworks enable, rather than hinder, housing provision. The importance of cooperation between European, national and local levels, as well as between public and private actors, was also widely emphasised.
Representing SGI Europe, General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti underlined the need to approach housing as part of a broader ecosystem of services of general interest. Access to housing cannot be dissociated from access to other essential services such as energy, water, transport or social services. In this sense, the current housing crisis reflects wider structural challenges affecting Europe’s competitiveness, labour mobility and territorial cohesion.
She stressed that housing should be recognised as a strategic service of general interest, not only addressing social needs but also playing a structuring role in the functioning of the Single Market. This is closely linked to the concept of the “Freedom to Stay”, which aims to ensure that citizens can live and work where they choose, supported by access to affordable housing and essential services.
The discussion also highlighted the diversity of housing systems across Europe. Valeria Ronzitti recalled that this diversity is a strength that reflects different national and local realities. Preserving stable and adapted frameworks is essential to ensure effective delivery on the ground.
In this context, SGI Europe called for a supportive European framework that facilitates investment, promotes coordination and respects subsidiarity, allowing different models to contribute to addressing the housing crisis at scale.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
On Wednesday 22 April, SGI Europe, together with members of the SGIs Network and Members of the European Parliament from the Intergroup on Services of General Interest and the Social Economy, organised a debate on the forthcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
The discussion was opened by MEP Benedetta Scuderi (Greens/EFA, IT), Vice-Chair of the Intergroup, who stressed that universal, high-quality access to essential services is a precondition for ensuring dignity, inclusion, and equal opportunities for all European citizens.
In his keynote intervention, MEP João Oliveira (GUE/NGL, PT), rapporteur of the European Parliament's own-initiative report on developing a new anti-poverty strategy, underlined the need for an ambitious and coordinated European response capable of addressing the multiple dimensions of poverty.
Representing the European Commission, Jiří Švarc (DG EMPL) presented the state of play of the forthcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, due to be published on 6 May 2026. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of fully integrating the dimension of essential services into the Strategy's preparation as one of three key pillars.
The panel discussion, moderated by MEP Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA, FR), brought together representatives of services of general interest providers from different sectors. Participants emphasised that access to essential services – including energy, water, housing, transport, healthcare, education and digital connectivity – is a decisive tool for preventing and reducing poverty.
Concluding the event, MEP Maravillas Abadía Jover (EPP, ES) called on the European Commission to fully take into account the role of essential services in preparing the Strategy.
SGI Europe will continue to contribute to the European debate to ensure that the future Anti-Poverty Strategy fully recognises the role of services of general interest.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
SGI Europe has responded to the European Commission’s public consultation on the draft revised General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). The consultation aims to assess if the draft adequately reflects the objectives of simplifying, streamlining and aligning the instrument with social, market and technological developments.
The SGI Europe response welcomes the streamlined structure of the draft GBER and the improved coherence through the regrouping of aid categories. The extension of simplified cost options to all aid categories is also a positive development with the potential to significantly reduce administrative burden. However, the documentation and reporting requirements remain substantial.
Regarding sectorial provisions, the introduction of the concept of climate resilience is relevant and in-line with the substantial investments that will be needed for such measures in the coming years. The provisions to support social and affordable housing are also welcomed, but coherence with the SGEI framework should be ensured.
All SGI Europe members are united in their request to revise the definition of small and medium enterprises (SME) in Annex I of the GBER, to consider publicly owned enterprises as SMEs. The current definition excludes enterprises that are owned at least 25% by public bodies, meaning that local public enterprises must comply with burdensome obligations that do not correspond to their size, resources and capabilities, to the detriment of the services of general interest they provide.
Finally, SGI Europe calls for the guidance document accompanying the legislative proposal to be available to public authorities, enterprises and stakeholders across all Member States. The document should also be promptly adopted to ensure the consistent application of the rules from the outset.
Contact: Raquel Carro-Andollo
On 10 April, SGI Europe signed a joint letter together with the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Aqua Publica Europea, and EurEau to advocate for the swift implementation of the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). Representing Europe’s cities, regions, and services of general interest, the organisations called on Members of the European Parliament to reject any efforts to delay or suspend the Directive’s requirements.
The organisations are responding to recent debates in the European Parliament, where several MEPs have raised concerns that the UWWTD might force pharmaceutical production out of Europe, prompting initiatives to stop the clock and reassess the EPR rules. The letter highlights that abandoning EPR would force municipalities to pass costs onto water users, disproportionately affecting rural areas and local businesses. Furthermore, the organisations contend that pausing implementation would create regulatory uncertainty, undermining investments already being made by technology providers and operators to support the transition.
The joint statement emphasises that the UWWTD already includes flexible tools to monitor impacts on the affordability of medicines and to adjust EPR contributions based on real-world data collected by 2028. By adhering to the current timeline, the EU can ensure a fair, balanced system that protects both public health and the environment.
SGI Europe remains dedicated to monitoring these legislative developments and the subsequent implementation of the UWWTD through the active work of its Water Task Force.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
The European Commission has unveiled a new “AccelerateEU” package to address renewed energy price volatility and reduce the EU’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, framing the initiative as both a crisis response and a structural shift in energy policy. Presented against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions and market instability, the package aims to protect households and industry in the short term while accelerating the transition towards clean, domestically produced energy.
The proposal combines emergency coordination measures, including strengthened gas storage and crisis response mechanisms, with targeted support for vulnerable consumers and affected sectors. It also foresees increased flexibility under State aid rules to enable swift national interventions. At the same time, the Commission places strong emphasis on long-term solutions, notably through a forthcoming Electrification Action Plan, reinforced energy infrastructure, and a significant scale-up of investments in renewables and grid capacity.
According to the Commission, the EU will require around €660 billion in annual investments until 2030 to meet its energy and climate objectives, underlining the need to mobilise both public and private financing. The initiative also signals a renewed focus on aligning energy pricing and taxation frameworks to make electricity more competitive compared to fossil fuels.
The Communication – and its annex – also foresees a series of concrete follow-up actions in the coming months, including the presentation of an electrification package, investment initiatives, and potential legislative proposals to adapt key elements of the EU energy framework.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
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