28 February 2025
On Tuesday 25 February 2025, SGI Europe General Secretary, Valeria Ronzitti, met with the Polish Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in charge of EU Affairs, Mr Ignaczy Niemczycki.
Minister Niemczycki and SGI Europe representatives exchanged on the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union’s priorities. SGI Europe's General Secretary took this opportunity to explain how SGI Europe stands on the EU brand of competitiveness and its link to the EU economic security.
First, the discussion went from simplifying and reducing administrative burdens for all companies, especially for smaller companies, to the EU Circular Single Market and the need to put services of general interest at the centre of the Clean Industrial Deal. In that sense, SGI Europe and its members call on the EU to create a proper market for secondary products to enable a circular economy to work.
The next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and its link with the EU cohesion policy was also on the agenda. This is another occasion for SGI Europe to remind the importance of the involvement of social partners in shaping up the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028 – 2035. The Polish Secretary of State agreed on the importance for all governance levels, including local and regional, to be involved as much as the national one.
SGI Europe also reiterated its key concerns for the ongoing negotiations in Council and Parliament regarding the proposal for a directive on traineeships. SGI Europe emphasised further that the latest compromise proposal from the Hungarian presidency had introduced strong clarity when it comes to the scope of the directive and that it was important for the Polish presidency to build further discussions on that basis.
SGI Europe is looking forward to continuing working with the Polish Presidency until it hands over to the Danish Presidency in June 2025.
Contact: Benoît Cassorla
On Tuesday 25 February, The European Social partners were invited to meet with Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, to discuss the future proposal for a Union of Skills, expected for publication on 5 March by the European Commission.
During the meeting, EVP Minzatu mentioned that the Union of Skills would be materialised through a new STEM Education Strategic Plan and an Action Plan on Basic Skills. She insisted during the meeting on the need to compensate for the lack of basic skills of adults and to find new ways of including key digital skills during initial education.
During the meeting, SGI Europe emphasised the need for Member States to prioritise investment in education and the training of teachers to ensure all individuals acquire essential literacy, numeracy, and digital skills. SGI Europe also mentioned the significant potential of making Higher VET a first-choice pathway as a measure to reinforce the attractiveness of VET.
The European social partners will be closely associated with implementing the Union of Skills. SGI Europe will gladly join this endeavour to address the significant labour and skills shortages SGI employers face in different Member States.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On 26 February 2025, the European Commission introduced the Clean Industrial Deal and the first 'Omnibus' packages to cut red tape and simplify business regulations.
The Clean Industrial Deal aims to boost EU industry while cutting emissions. The plan aims to lower energy costs, support clean technologies, and help sectors like steel and chemicals transition to greener practices. It positions decarbonisation as a way to strengthen competitiveness in a challenging global market.
The Deal includes over €100 billion in funding, mainly through an Industrial Decarbonization Bank, to support clean manufacturing. It also promotes recycling, simplifies regulations, speeds up renewable energy projects, and ensures public procurement favours EU-made clean technologies.
The first two Omnibus packages focus on sustainability reporting and InvestEU. The most important elements are reducing sustainability reporting requirements, limiting due diligence to direct business partners, and delaying some obligations by two years. The number of companies affected by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will shrink by 80%, focusing only on large firms.
The proposals also ease EU Taxonomy rules and exempt small importers from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). These measures are expected to save businesses €6.3 billion annually and boost investment by €50 billion.
The Commission has planned a further Omnibus for Q2, focusing on a new category of small midcaps. SGI Europe will seek to influence further development on those omnibus packages so that they also positively impact providers of services of general interest.
Contact: Ruben Sansom
On 26 February 2025, as part of the Clean Industrial Deal, the European Commission published its Affordable Energy Action Plan (COM/2025/79), a strategy to ensure secure, affordable, and sustainable energy for Europe. The plan revolves around four key pillars: lowering energy costs, completing the Energy Union, attracting investments, and preparing for energy crises.
To achieve these objectives, the Commission has outlined eight key actions to be implemented in 2025. These pillars include reducing electricity bills, reinforcing grid infrastructure, improving gas market oversight, enhancing energy efficiency, and ensuring energy crisis preparedness. The plan promotes long-term electricity supply contracts and tripartite agreements between the public sector, energy producers, and industries to create a stable investment environment.
SGI Europe welcomes the European Commission’s Affordable Energy Action Plan but emphasises the importance of technology neutrality and a more decentralised approach to ensure an inclusive and resilient energy transition.
For SGIs, the crucial role of local and regional authorities is vital in shaping energy and climate policies that reflect the specific needs of their communities. Here, decentralisation must be a guiding principle, allowing flexibility for tailored solutions that enhance efficiency and sustainability.
SGI Europe also stresses the need for a level playing field for all low-carbon technologies. A technology-neutral framework is essential to achieving decarbonisation goals efficiently, ensuring that diverse energy solutions contribute to reducing emissions while maintaining energy security. SGI Europe underlines the making of the new Action plan for a balanced and pragmatic approach that fosters sustainability, resilience, and affordability in Europe’s energy transition.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
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