25 June 2021
In the framework of the European project ‘Green Skills in VET’, the project partners SGI Europe and European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE) invite you to the kick-off conference of the project, which will take place online on 6 July 2021, from 10:00-12:45.
On this occasion, SGI Europe and EFEE will welcome, amongst others, Mr Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Affairs, who will provide a keynote speech.
The kick-off conference will raise awareness on green skills shortages within SGIs, whilst addressing the development of teaching methods and staff competences to deliver green-oriented trainings by providers of vocational education and training.
The event will take place online via the Zoom platform. Interpretation will be provided in French, German, and Spanish. You can find all the information here, and register through the following link.
Contact: Stefan Enica
On Saturday 19 June, the first Plenary session of the Conference on the Future of Europe was finally conveyed, in Strasbourg.
During the meeting, representatives of the EU institutions, national parliaments, civil society, and social partners, together with ordinary Europeans advanced their views and ideas on both the objective of the Conference and their expectations.
General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti represented SGI Europe at the first gathering of the Conference plenary, where she presented the priorities and ambitions of SGI Europe, including that of laying the foundations for a new Paradigm through a sound reform of the Economic and Monetary Union, a proper and genuine consultation process with partners of the EU and the separation of productive investments from existing fiscal and budgetary rules.
The General Secretary also expressed SGI Europe’s commitment to supporting the creation of a bottom-up critical mass calling for Treaty change and the launch of a new Convention. However, she recalled that there cannot be change if citizens do not demand such reforms in the first place. Lastly, she pointed out that one of the key concerns is that of expanding the debate around the Conference beyond Brussels and metropolitan areas by reaching out to the most remote regions.
Contact: Antonio Astolfi
Represented by Vice-President Milena Angelova, SGI Europe participated exceptionally in the 15th Board meeting of the Public Employment Services (PES) Network on 24 June 2021.
The EU Social Partners were invited to discuss with the board of the PES Network in 2 separate sessions. In the opening session addressing topics of common interest, Mrs Angelova referred to the challenges of coping with demographic ageing, digitalisation and decarbonisation and their consequences in enterprises all over Europe as top priorities. Addressing those challenges should entail new and innovative avenues for stronger cooperation between PES and social partners. The key topic of PES and the Green deal confirms that this transformation concerns everyone equally.
Addressing the specific topic of the Green deal in the second session, Mrs Angelova showcased the SGI Europe ongoing project on green skills in VET, which aims at identifying the role of SGIs and VET providers in ensuring the success of the EU environmental policy, defining skills for the green transition in target sectors and raising the image and visibility of VET and its role as contributor to the human capital agenda.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On 24 June, Elmar Thyen, chair of the Energy Task Force, and Alain Taccoen, Vice-Chair, met with Aleksandra Tomczak, Riccardo Maggi and Antoine Colombani, members of the cabinet of First Executive Vice-President Timmermans. The meeting follows up on the High-Level Meeting of the EU Social Partners with EVP Timmermans and Commissioner Nicolas Schmit on the “Fit for 55 Package”, which will include proposals on the Renewable Energy Directive, Energy Efficiency Directive, Emission Trading System, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure, amongst others.
The meeting focused on issues of interest for SGI Europe, highlighting that SGI Europe is supportive of a ‘Fit for 55’ Package which is socially acceptable, environmentally respectful, and economically feasible. Our key message emphasises that the package must align all EU energy and climate policies with the new 55% GHG reduction targets in a fair and efficient manner.
Overall, SGI Europe called for avoiding overregulation to reach the targets, which would harm the national, regional, and local ambitious roadmaps to decarbonise. Finally, SGI Europe recalled that, to support ambitious targets and guidelines at EU level, the right financial means and tools to support public service providers to accelerate the transitions must be in place.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Monday 21 June, Luís Natal Marques (President of the Portuguese section of SGI Europe) took part in the high-level conference organised by the Portuguese presidency of the EU to launch the EU Platform on Combatting Homelessness.
During the conference, Mr Marques highlighted the importance of the EU Pillar of Social Rights to support, through EU policies and tools, access to decent, affordable, and adequate housing for all. Whilst competence in matters of housing is national, regional, or local, the implementation of the EU Pillar of Social Rights through all policies remains essential.
To that aim, Mr Marques recalled that the Action Plan for the Pillar of Social Rights must make enable to support the supply of affordable, suitable, and accessible housing as a key component of social protection, and the support for social housing should be an integral part of an efficient real estate market. All EU policies (including competition, internal market, energy policy, investment, migration, demography…) must all be mobilised to that aim. In particular, the Economic governance, including the EU Semester, must enable Member States to invest in a sustainable and fair housing policy. Indicators should be developed to achieve this objective and all European financing tools should be mobilised by the action plan of the Pillar of European Rights in this direction.
SGI Europe also signed up to the Lisbon Declaration on the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness, which intends to trigger dialogue, facilitate mutual learning, improve evidence and monitoring, and strengthen cooperation amongst all actors that aim to combat homelessness.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On 22 June, SGI Europe submitted its response to the public consultation on the revision of the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD). SGI Europe welcomes the initiative for the “Renovation Wave for Europe”, which initiated the revision of the EPBD to keep it up to the new EU Energy and Climate targets. As around 40% of the energy is consumed by buildings, SGI Europe fully supports a fair and efficient revision of the Directive.
The EPBD shall however not be revised in isolation and needs to be in line with the Renewable Energy Directive II (RED), Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) as well as the EU Emission Trading System.
SGI Europe calls for rethinking the principle of “Energy Efficiency First” (EE1). Overall, the EE1 is an admirable guideline for buildings and other sectors and shall remain ambitious, but it must be subordinate to the decarbonisation and reduction of climate impacts. However, the EE1 principle is not cost effective and does not lead to prioritising the most important actions for climate.
The EPBD as well as the EED revision should both focus on “climate-efficiency centric approach”, with the need to reduce at the same time GHG emissions and energy consumption, with more ambitious targets on carbon than on energy efficiency. Rethinking the EE1 principle should lead to make the instrument fully fit for purpose, attract investments while contributing to the decarbonisation.
You can read the full position paper and a detailed policy analysis here.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Monday 21 June 2021, the rapporteur for the Digital Services Act, Christel Schaldemose (S&D, DK) and the rapporteur for the Digital Markets Act, Andreas Schwab (EPP, DE), presented their draft reports in the European Parliament Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.
The Draft report on DMA faced the criticism that it could seem solely tailored to cover US companies and risk anti-American sentiment. At the same time, MEP Schwab’s attempts to speed up the process of designating gatekeepers by limiting the deadlines were welcomed by several MEPs.
On the DSA, Arba Kokalari (EPP, SE) and Dita Charanzová (Renew, CZ) criticised Schaldemose’s inclusion of SMEs in the due diligence obligations for online platforms. As they pointed out, imposing such obligations would be too burdensome. SGI Europe shares this opinion and suggests to further include local public enterprises in the exclusion.
In the concluding part of the meeting, Pranhat Agarwal (HoU Digital Services & Platforms, DG Connect, European Commission) explained that the DSA is a horizontal regulation to cover all types of platforms and all types of illegal content. However, more sector-specific rules on terrorism and copyright were already adopted, and sectoral legislations for safety of products and child protection are in preparation. SGI Europe calls for more legal certainty on the relationship between the DSA and other EU legal acts, in particular those regulating cultural issues.
The exclusion from the due diligence obligations and the legal certainty in relations with sector-specific legislation are amongst the amendment suggestions that SGI Europe has prepared, in line with the SGI Europe position paper on DMA and DSA.
Join us, stay informed
Subscribe to have all the latest news and developments delivered straight to your inbox.