27 February 2026
On 23 February 2026, SGI Europe, together with members of the SGIs Network and MEPs from the Intergroup on Services of General Interest and the Social Economy, launched the Coalition for the Freedom to Stay.
Launched during a high-level event featuring Enrico Letta, author of the report on the future of the EU Single Market, as well as MEPs Camila Laureti (S&D, IT), Marion Walsmann (EPP, DE), Karlo Ressler (EPP, HR), Irene Tinagli (S&D, IT) and Marc Angel (S&D, LU), the Coalition builds on a simple principle: while the Single Market guarantees the Freedom to Move, Europe’s long-term competitiveness depends equally on ensuring that people are not compelled to leave their regions due to structural gaps. Indeed, many citizens leave their regions, and companies relocate not because they want to, but because access to affordable and high-quality services, such as hospitals, education, transport, or postal services, is insufficient due to decades of underinvestment.
You can find here a comprehensive recap of the event.
The Coalition will bring together enterprises, social partners, local and regional actors, policymakers and civil society organisations committed to a balanced European model that combines competitiveness, social cohesion and preparedness.
Find more and join the Coalition on www.freedomtostay.eu.
Contact: Benoît Cassorla
On 24 February 2026, SGI Europe participated in the European Commission’s Implementation Dialogue on measures to combat poverty, organised by Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu. The meeting brought together Member States, local authorities, social partners and civil society to assess progress and identify practical ways to improve the implementation of the Minimum Income Recommendation and the European Child Guarantee.
SGI Europe Secretary General Valeria Ronzitti highlighted that accessible and affordable services of general interest are a fundamental condition for effective anti-poverty policies and that income support alone is not sufficient if structural barriers remain. High housing costs, limited transport connections, insufficient childcare or long-term care, and lack of digital access increase vulnerability to shocks, putting people at a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion.
Poverty risks vary significantly across territories in Europe, with higher risks in rural, outermost and shrinking regions. SGI Europe stresses that preventing people from being forced to leave their communities requires place-based investment in social and physical infrastructure, digital connectivity and affordable housing, to enable a Freedom to Stay and supporting territorial cohesion.
SGI Europe also emphasised that effective implementation depends on predictable social investment, stronger local delivery capacity and simplified administrative frameworks. Integrated activation systems, closer coordination between employment and social services, and stable EU funding instruments, are key to ensuring that minimum income schemes and the Child Guarantee translate into real opportunities on the ground.
SGI Europe stands ready to contribute its cross-sectoral expertise and practical experience to support the effective implementation of the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and to strengthen access to services of general interest across Europe.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On 23 February, SGI Europe submitted its response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the forthcoming EU Climate Resilience Strategy. The contribution connects three major policy strands: the EU Water Resilience Strategy, the EU Preparedness Strategy and the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act, underlining the need for a coherent framework to strengthen services of general interest.
The position was presented on 25 February at the SGI Europe Sustainability Board meeting with Ms Elina Bardram, Director for Climate Resilience at the Directorate-General for Climate Action.
SGI Europe calls for a shift from reactive asset protection to anticipatory resilience. As essential economic and social infrastructure, services of general interest must be structurally equipped to withstand overlapping climate and geopolitical shocks. Resilience should be embedded into infrastructure planning from the outset to ensure continuity of essential services.
The paper highlights the circular economy as a security tool. Transforming SGIs into resource hubs, including through wastewater material recovery and energy-efficient waste-to-energy solutions, can reduce strategic dependencies and strengthen Europe’s autonomy. A multi-dimensional security perspective is also needed, reinforcing links with the Preparedness Strategy and protecting energy, water, waste and transport networks.
Water quality and pollution prevention remain central, with a call for nature-based solutions by default and strict pollution prevention at source, including a comprehensive PFAS ban.
Finally, SGI Europe stresses that resilience must remain socially fair. Structured dialogue with EU social partners and long-term, predictable investment under the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034 will be essential to ensure territorial cohesion and safeguard the Freedom to Stay across all regions.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On 27 February 2026, the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ), partner of the LABOUR-INT III project led by SGI Europe, is organising a high-level round table in Warsaw bringing together trade unions, employers, non-governmental organisations, public authorities, researchers and international organisations.
The event provided a structured exchange on how migrants’ situation on the Polish labour market is currently perceived and how stakeholders can move towards common expectations and practical outcomes. Discussions focused on three main pillars: understanding current labour market realities, identifying necessary changes and responsible actors, and defining common directions for future action.
Representatives from the Polish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, the National Labour Inspectorate, social partner organizations, academic experts and migrant-led organizations have actively contributed to the debate. The objective of the roundtable was to foster a shared understanding of existing challenges, including access to decent work, legal certainty, enforcement of labour standards and integration support.
This roundtable forms part of LABOUR INT III’s broader multi-stakeholder approach, which promotes social dialogue and cooperation between enterprises, trade unions and civil society to improve migrant integration into the labour market across Europe. The conclusions drawn in Warsaw will feed into the project’s ongoing work and contribute to shaping practical recommendations at national and EU level.
Contact: Cecilia Martin
On Wednesday, 25 February 2026, the Commission opened a public consultation on the draft revised General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). The GBER sets out which specific categories of State aid are deemed to be compatible with EU rules when they fulfil certain requirements, exempting them from prior notification and approval by the Commission. With the revision, the EU executive aims to reduce the administrative burden and to make the instrument easier to apply and interpret.
The main changes include new straightforward conditions for small amounts of aid for specific projects or activities – such as for R&D and environmental protection – regardless of company size, facilitating access to State aid for small mid-caps or social enterprises. Granting operating aid for renewable energy will also become simpler and possible on a larger scale.
In line with previous proposals to address the housing crisis, the new GBER will allow higher aid intensities for energy-efficiency measures in social and affordable housing projects and for social enterprises providing housing.
Additionally, the Commission aims to incentivise upskilling and reskilling by allowing increased support for training workers in digital and STEM skills. It also seeks to provide more clarity on the compatibility of aid in the form of financial instruments managed by financial intermediaries, such as investment funds or banks.
Interested parties are invited to comment on the draft until 23 April 2026. The adoption of the revised GBER is planned for the last quarter of 2026, before the current regulation expires on 31 December 2026.
Contact: Raquel Carro-Andollo
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